Scarlet, or Dranzer?
by Pheo the Flame
Summary: Scarlet Valkov isn't your average blader. Not only is she Tala's sister, she is Kai's bit-beast, Dranzer. However, not all experiments go as planned...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I owned Beyblade, (which I don't) I wouldn't be writing on fanfiction, would I?

AN: I haven't watched this show in ages, and I didn't know it was a manga until a while ago, so… please forgive me for that. This is the edited first chapter, because the first one sucked. Also, quite a bit of OOCness lies within, mainly because I couldn't make a scene work if everyone was in character. Now that you have read this insanely long authors note, (sorry about the length) on with the story!

"Three… Two… One…"

"Let it rip!"

Kai launched Dranzer into the beystadium at the same time Brooklyn launched Zeus. The blades clashed with a metallic crash, and pulled back before crashing into each other again.

"Dranzer, attack!" Kai yelled.

"Go Zeus!" Brooklyn called. The two bit-beasts rose from their blades, and Zeus instantly attacked Dranzer, who didn't seem to want to do anything to defend herself. The phoenix was forced back, despite Kai yelling at it to defend itself.

"Dranzer, flame saber!" The phoenix seemed to resist it, but eventually launched the attack. _Dranzer, why are you resisting me? _Kai tried to send his thoughts out to the phoenix, but he got no reply. Zeus charged Dranzer again, but Dranzer flew out of his way and seemed to be waiting for an order. Kai sensed the bit-beasts newfound determination, and knew that they were going to defeat this undefeated blader. Dranzer flew at Zeus, but Zeus raked her wing with a clawed hand. _Come on Dranzer, hang in there… _Kai thought.

_I am doing my best. Together we can defeat them. _Dranzer's voice sounded pained, but she wasn't ready to give up.

"Fire arrow!" Kai yelled, and Dranzer attacked viciously. It was over… Dranzer remained spinning, while Zeus slowly stopped.

"And Kai wins!" The announcement came through the speakers, and Kai walked over to his teammates, who congratulated him, but he ignored them. _Dranzer, why did you resist me? _But again, there was no answer. _Dranzer! _

_Not Dranzer you idiot! _A voice snapped inside of his head, _It's me, Scarlet!_

_Hey, watch who you call- wait, Scarlet? But you're dead!_

_Yup, I'm about as dead as you are! _Scarlet's voice said sarcastically. _Don't you remember what happened?_

_No. _

"Kai?" Tyson asked, "Kai, are you okay?"

_Let me out. _Scarlet's voice insisted, _Let me introduce myself._

_Later, _Kai thought. "I'm fine," he said to Tyson.

"Really?" Max asked, "You looked like you were going to faint. The match is over."

"I'm fine!" Kai snapped, "Let's go."

_Please Kai? _Scarlet's voice pleaded sweetly.

_Not now. You'll be seen. How'd you even get here?_

_I'm Dranzer, in a sense. I can't believe you don't remember. Or did you just not know?_

_I thought you were dead… for all these years._

_Yes, eight today. You never seemed very… um, mournful about it._

Kai flinched visibly. "Are you sure you're okay?" Rei asked. He'd never seen the team's captain like this before.

"No." Kai replied quietly. _Scarlet, you have no idea how much your death hurt me. And Tala. He locked himself in his room and didn't eat for a week._

_He was acting. _Scarlet thought. _Boris was supposed to tell him!_

_He never did. Your brother thought you were dead._

_Let me out. _Threat and hate coursed through Scarlet's thoughts. _I have to see him. I have to tell him I'm still alive. He didn't-?_

_He's still alive. _Kai realized he was speaking more with this girl, who was supposedly dead, than he ever had spoken to anyone else. Then he almost walked into a tree. He hadn't even noticed they'd walked outside. _I'll talk to you more later._

_Release me! _Scarlet begged. Kai sighed and shook his head.

When they were at the hotel they were staying at, the team continued pestering Kai, who continued to ignore them. And Scarlet continued to pester him to release her, until it felt like his head would explode.

_Scarlet, if I release you will you stop using thoughts to communicate?_

_Seeing as I couldn't anyways, yes. _Kai could picture her rolling her eyes.

_Best news I've heard all day. How do I release you?_

_Are there any cameras around? _ She asked this right as they stepped into an elevator.

_We're in an elevator. _Kai thought. _Draw your own conclusions._

_You know what? _Scarlet thought, _I think you've gotten more polite._

_Shut up. _ They stepped out of the elevator and walked to the suite they'd booked for the week, and Kai instantly walked over to one of the armchairs and pulled out Dranzer, studying it intently. _How do I release you? _He asked again.

"I'm right here. Just tell me I can stay." Kai jumped up and whirled around, to see a fourteen year old girl, with long black hair and silver eyes staring back at him.

"Well, you've changed," he remarked, his usual icy mask evident.

"All a part of being Dranzer," she replied, "And I haven't changed nearly as much as you have. Really, what's with the face paint?"

"I'm tempted to leave you as Dranzer," Kai growled.

"Oh ha, ha," Scarlet said, "Just tell me I can stay. You don't know how cramped a bit-chip is."

Kai blinked. He'd forgotten a lot about Scarlet, or the years as Dranzer had changed her. "Fine. You may stay."

"Great," Scarlet said, "I suppose you won't bother introducing me to these guys," she gestured to Tyson, Max, and Rei, who were standing behind her, staring, "So I might as well tell you who I am. My name is Scarlet."

I'm Rei," Rei said, "This is Tyson and Max."

"Nice to meet you," Scarlet said with a nod. "Where are we?"

"Russia," Kai said.

"Great, I'll be back tomorrow," Scarlet said.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the abbey. I need to tell Tala I'm still alive," she glanced around her, "My brother?" She said, "Whatever. Be back in a while." She walked out of the door, leaving four shocked bladers.

"Umm, okay, what just happened?" Max asked.

Kai shrugged. "Ask her when she gets back," he turned and left. _Boris will want to be notified that she is still able to communicate and appear. The experiment continues. _But a voice in the back of his mind asked, _Do you want it to?_

As Scarlet walked out of the room, she glanced around her, looking for a sign that would point towards the stairs. She found one, and jogged down to the ground floor, then walked out of the hotel, trying to get her bearings. _Dranzer, where are we?_

_Where ever you are standing. _The phoenix responded.

_Enough of the riddles. Where in Russia are we? _After having Dranzer living in her consciousness for eight years, Scarlet had discovered that they could share thoughts. The phoenix bit-beast had taught her many things about her history, and had been the closest thing she had had for a friend. She could also take on the phoenix's form while retaining her own consciousness, but it was tiring.

_The abbey… Why do want to take us back there? _Dranzer never gave straight answers.

_I have to let Tala see I'm still alive, _Scarlet thought.

_Scarlet… _Dranzer's voice was soft. _He might not recognize you._

_What do you mean? _

_Have you seen your reflection?_ Dranzer thought. _When we became one, you changed._

Scarlet pulled a strand of her hair in front of her eyes, as if only just noticing it was black. Which in truth, she was. _Dranzer, what happened to me? _She looked in a window, and saw her silver eyes. _What happened?_

_You have taken on bits of my appearance. _Dranzer answered. _My dark half's hair, my eyes, maybe you have a bit of one of our personalities._

_What happened to your dark half? _Scarlet asked.

_Look at your blade. _

_What? She's in my blade? _Scarlet paled, and pulled a black beyblade from her pocket. It was shot through with a venomous green, and adorned with bits of scarlet. _It looks like the one…_

_Kai abandoned us for, yes. _Dranzer said. Scarlet shivered in disgust. That anyone was creating bit-beasts was an insult to her, seeing as she thought they hadn't learned from her. In truth though, they had. Human/bit-beast merges were now forbidden. She continued walking, glad to be able to stretch her legs.

_Dranzer, how are we going to get there? _

_I can give you a different form. _Dranzer suggested. _I have a few forms I can give to you that aren't as bad as the phoenix._

_Like? _Scarlet asked.

Dranzer didn't reply, but suddenly Scarlet felt as though her body was on fire. It didn't last though, and, as was usual, Dranzer had used the burning sensation to mask the pain of the transformation. Standing in Scarlet's place was now a black wolf. _Wow, Dranzer, this is cool! _Scarlet thought, _I don't even have to think about keeping this form._

_Yes, but I do, _Dranzer thought. _This form can hold for maybe a few hours. I can put directions into your consciousness, if you'd like._

_Yes, please. _Instantly Scarlet knew where she should go. She took off like a bullet, her four paws beating a steady tattoo on the ground beneath them. She howled to the moon, overjoyed at being able to once again touch the ground.

_If you love the world so much, _Dranzer thought, _Why did you leave it? _

_I don't know. _Scarlet thought back, another howl ripping itself out of her throat. _I don't know. _They didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late.

A muttered curse caused Scarlet to skid to a halt, ears pricked. _Dranzer, can you…?_

_No. _The phoenix replied. _I can't tell who, but be careful. _

_Danger?_

_Quite a bit. They're looking for you._

_They?_

_Two of them. _

_Give me back my human form, _Scarlet thought. Instantly she was standing upright, fists clenched, her black hair and clothing blending into the night. But her eyes gave her away. The silver irises glittered in the light, causing two silhouetted figures to turn towards her.

_Careful Scarlet, _Dranzer warned, _They hail from the abbey, and neither of them are Tala. _

_How'd they even get out of the abbey? _Scarlet asked. _No one's _ever _allowed unless… _It clicked. _There's a spy. Someone saw me. _She turned and ran. _Dranzer, wolf form. _She thought, _Now! _The burning sensation appeared again, but the black wolf ran on.

_Now what? _Dranzer asked as the two figures gave chase.

_We run, _Scarlet thought. _Unless you want_ _to be caught?_

_But you do, don't you? _Dranzer reasoned. _They would take us back to the abbey._

_I don't want to go back like that, _Scarlet thought. _Not as a prisoner._ Then she tripped. Her wolf form vanished; Dranzer had been startled by the sudden lurch. She scrambled to her feet and continued running, her feet swift. The two running figures continued after her, keeping pace almost easily. _Who are they? _She thought, wondering how anyone could run anywhere near as fast as she could. She could only think of a few people who could _maybe _run as fast and as long as she could. One was Tala, and the other three… she shuddered. _Please no. _Fear lent her feet wings, and she flew across the ground, cutting across a road, vaulting over a car. She heard something being hit, and glanced back in time to see that one of the silhouettes had an unusually long nose. She groaned and ran faster.

_You know them? _Dranzer asked.

_One of them, _Scarlet thought miserably. _This is so pointless. They're going to catch up to us sooner or later._

_You've got two choices, _Dranzer said. _You can keep running, or return to our blade._

_Those aren't choices. I'm not letting myself be trapped anymore. _Scarlet decided that she felt unusually calm, even though her heart was racing. She hadn't run this much in years, and her muscles were stiff, but they were loosening and she pushed herself onward.

_Scarlet, don't force yourself. _Dranzer said as Scarlet stumbled.

_I'm fine, _Scarlet thought. _Just a bit sore… _She tripped and fell, and didn't get up. The two figures caught up with her quickly.

"Hello Ian, Bryan," Scarlet muttered, sitting up and shaking her head lightly, "I'll be going now, give Boris a slap for me."

Bryan rolled his eyes. "No, I think you will be coming with us. You see, someone told us that you had reappeared, and we were told to bring you back with us. And as long as you're alive, no one really cares what kind of shape you're in, so don't act like we can't hurt you." Scarlet looked at him. He was telling the truth. Very carefully, she took her ripcord out of her pocket, and it turned into a whip.

"Yes, I can only see one problem with that. You see, I don't really care about hurting either of you, but I'm not under orders not to kill." She shrugged, swinging the whip in a circle at her side. "But, if you leave now, I won't hurt you." She smiled a wicked smile, without a shred of sympathy in it.

_Scarlet, wake up! _Dranzer was screaming in the back of her mind, _My dark half is trying to take over! Fight!_

_Huh? _Scarlet's thoughts sounded dazed. _Wait, is that- _She started swearing in Russian, and shook the dark half of her back into the very corners of her mind. She looked at Bryan and Ian like a startled deer caught in headlights, and ran. _Dranzer, _she thought resignedly, _Take us back to our blade._

_As you wish. _Dranzer responded, and Scarlet disappeared in a flash of golden light, blinding the two others. As they waited for their vision to return, they both heard heavy footsteps coming from behind them.

"Well, do you have her?" Kai asked, gasping for air.

"Does it look like it?" Ian snapped.

"For all we know she's invisible," Kai snapped back. "Do you have her or not?"

"No," Bryan said.

"Get back to the abbey and watch for her there," Kai said, "She'll try to see Tala."

"Yes your majesty," Bryan said rolling his eyes.

"Just go!" Kai snapped, then turned around and left.

_Kai,_ The voice was Dranzer's, not Scarlet's, _Kai._

_Dranzer? _Kai asked.

_Yes. Don't do this. _Dranzer's presence retreated from his mind, and he pulled his blade out of his pocket. The phoenix was again held there, but he pocketed it. They needed Scarlet in her human form. He turned and walked back to the hotel.

AN: Okay, I think I did a much better job on this. I hope you think so too. Please R&R!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

You think I own Beyblade? Wow, I'm shocked. Who would spread such an obvious lie around? (Just to make this clear, I don't own Beyblade, and never will.) (So don't sue me)

New Years Eve

AN: This is like… eleven months later, just to let you know.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Ray commented, leaning against the balcony rail and letting the evening breeze play through his bangs, "I mean, we're right back where we met Scarlet." He thought back to that night. The girl had never returned in human form, but Dranzer had been back in Kai's blade the next morning. What he said was true. They were back in Russia, at the same hotel. They were one floor above the room where they had stayed previously, but that was the only difference.

"Yeah, that is a bit odd," Max, who was sitting at a small table, commented, "I wonder if she'll come back. What do you think, Kai?" He looked over to the slate haired teen, who was leaning against the doorframe, which had been left open.

"She will appear if she wants to, I suppose." He shrugged and closed his eyes against the setting sun.

Rei continued to look out towards the horizon. Scarlet's visit had been brief, but he could still recall the lively sparkle in her silver eyes when she had first appeared. She had been beautiful; there was no doubt about it. Beautiful with a fiery spirit. He hadn't thought at all about Mariah for months.

"I think she ran into someone she didn't want to see." Max said, "I mean, wouldn't Biovolt still try to find her?" Again he looked at Kai.

"Not to find Scarlet." Kai replied keeping his eyes closed. A bird somewhere nearby called, and horns blared in the evening traffic. Ray winced. He'd never liked traffic, seeing as there was little or none in his village. "Or to reunite her with Tala." Ray and Max both knew by the tone of Kai's voice that the conversation was over, but Ray wondered if Scarlet was as dark as her brother. She was certainly mysterious… _Snap out of it!_ He thought to himself. _It's not like you even knew her, really. She came and left in the space of an hour._ But he had been doing double takes every time he'd seen a girl with long black hair. It was only after Max had asked him if he was developing a nervous tick that he'd stopped and resigned himself to the fact that Scarlet was content with staying with them as Dranzer for the time being. A crow landed on the balcony, and Ray tried to shoo it away, but it pecked at him, and spread its wings. A hoarse croaking came from its throat. Ray shooed at it again, and getting the message, the crow took off.

Ray and Max both looked up as they heard the door slam and Tyson walk towards them. "I met an old friend," he said as he stepped onto the balcony.

"Who?" Max asked. Ray too, was interested, but he kept his eyes on the horizon. He was getting better at hiding emotions, and he was sure he had effectively hidden the spark of hope that it had been Scarlet. _Give it up, Ray. _He told himself. _She's not coming back. Kai would have noticed if Dranzer was gone. _

"Well, technically, she's not that old…" Tyson said. Ray turned finally, and saw a thin, starved looking black cat saunter out onto the balcony. It looked for all the world like it had been living in an alley for its entire life.

"Umm, Tyson?" Max said doubtfully, "That's a cat." The cat in question had jumped onto the railing and was being stroked by Ray, purring contentedly. Its fur was strangely soft for such a retched looking creature, and its eyes were bright. And silver. Ray's heart skipped.

"Scarlet?" he whispered.

The cat gave a tiny hiss that sounded like, "Shhh…" And very slowly glanced over towards Kai; then rolled her eyes. She nodded though, and Ray stroked her head again, thinking that this would be quite strange if Scarlet was a human. He couldn't picture the girl allowing someone to stroke her hair, or touch her at all.

"How?"

The cat gave him a look that said, "Later," then jumped away from him, onto the table where Max sat, then lightly leapt onto Kai's shoulder. Kai reached up as if to stroke the cat, but it hissed and swiped the air in front of his face. It then gracefully jumped off his shoulder and turned into Scarlet, examining the four long, bleeding marks that now adorned his face, and drumming her fingers on the table. "Well?" she asked impatiently, "You didn't notice I was gone?"

Kai gently put a hand up to the cuts on his face, and his eyes blazed. However, his voice was calm as he asked, "Why are you here?"

"Why I am here…" Scarlet paused and closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Kai, I want a temporary release."

Kai blinked in surprise. "Not possible." he said sharply, "Not with your… condition."

"You do know I still carry a whip, right?" Scarlet asked.

"What are you talking about?" Tyson asked, "What's a release?"

Scarlet sighed. "You know absolutely nothing, do you?" She glanced around at the blank (Or in Kai's case, not caring) faces. "Okay, let's start with what you _do _know, or at least think you do.

"Bit-beasts are as old as the earth itself, existing alongside humans for as long as anyone can remember. But, as the years passed, humans began to realize that we do not age, and they banished us, turning their backs on we who were once loyal, calling us monsters and demons. But we remained loyal. We refused to leave our villages unprotected, so we became guardians, living in animal or spirit forms, inhabiting important artifacts. We would appear only during battle, and then we would stay away unless we were absolutely needed, because we were most definitely not welcome. We weren't like anyone else, and the humans wouldn't allow us to live beside them. We were immortal, they were not. We held our peace, yet they thought us wild and vicious. Some of us decided that we should be Earth's only inhabitants, that the humans were useless. There were some that were completely against the idea, but there were also bit-beasts that had what you call split-personalities. Their souls were divided into light and dark halves, both trying to kill the other. Dranzer, Driger, Draciel, and our _Lord_ Dragoon were like this. They sealed away their dark halves. Well, most of them did." Scarlet smiled at Kai. "I am Dranzer's lighter half, I suppose. Her dark side lives in my blade, the true Black Dranzer, but it isn't a perfect thing. Sometimes… she takes over my body. I am a vessel for two souls, one my own, the other split, thanks to Voltaire.

"A release is a thing for bit-beasts, if they wish to leave their quarters for any long period of time. I was looked like I was starved because it takes a lot of energy to forcefully release oneself without your master's permission. Each of us is given one chance to forcefully release ourselves every hundred years, which you saw the last time I appeared. Now I must ask, and hope.

"I want a release, even a temporary one. I would like to go see my brother, Tala."

Kai looked at her. "How do I release you?" He asked after a minute.

Scarlet shrugged. "Tell me how long I can be gone. Then say 'I release you'. No, say 'I release you' first, then tell me how long I can be gone. Something along those lines, I'm sure."

"Fine then. I release you, Dranzer, for three days." Scarlet arched her eyebrows at these words.

"Why so long?" She asked, "I was thinking you'd just say 'till like…" She shook her head, "Ah, I don't care. Thanks, see you later!" She turned into a cat again, but this cat looked like it had lived a good life with a kind family. Its black fur was sleek, and so shiny it hurt to look at, and it didn't look starved.

"See ya, Scarlet!" Tyson called after the cat, which had jumped from the floor and opened the door somehow. It trotted out of the room, and then turned a corner and was lost to sight.

"She's… strange." Max commented.

"So would you, if you'd grown up being taught not to trust people." Kai said, and walked back inside, with four sets of eyes on him. Three belonged to teammates. The fourth belonged to a crow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Yeah, sure, I _do _own Beyblade. Why on Earth would you think that?

A black cat strolled down the road. No one bothered it, and it didn't bother anyone in return. The cat, of course, was Scarlet, and her heart was beating so fast she was sure she would pass out. _I know you remember me. I'm coming Tala. And when I get there, we'll tear the abbey down brick by brick._

She sighed mentally. _I don't think I'm covering enough ground. But a stray dog will attract too much attention… What about a bird? Can we do one that's not a phoenix, Dranzer?_

_Of course. _The phoenix thought back. Scarlet trotted into an alley. No one around her noticed. Nor did they pay attention to the black bird that was neither raven or crow fly out of the same alley, heading the same way as the cat had been.

_People are so shortsighted. _Scarlet thought, winging her way over traffic, following the road she had seen only a few times before in her life. _The world is so beautiful. Why were we hidden from it? _

Thinking back to the abbey, she remembered laughing and joking with Kai and Tala, before Black Dranzer, before the Demolition Boys. Before her own experiments, when she led a halfway normal life. When they'd all lived halfway normal lives. Kai had been friendly, open, always caring for her like she was his own sister. He and Tala had spent days exploring the abbey, and she'd always tagged along. They'd spent hours looking around the place for secret passages, and actually found a few. But it had all changed the day Tala left. Kai had slowly become moody, insensitive, keeping to himself more and more. Scarlet had distanced herself from him, living for her brother's visits to the abbey, which happened less and less. It had been around this time that Voltaire had come to her with the offer to become Dranzer. When he'd said she could choose her master, she'd become obsessed with the idea. Scarlet had realized that this was how she would be able to be with her brother. Glancing around beneath her, she saw several mice, a young fox cub, a red-headed boy sitting in a meadow- wait, was that Brooklyn? Scarlet dived quickly towards the meadow, about fifty feet away from him. She'd done her full best to land well, but her taloned foot twisted a little too far to be totally comfortable. With a garbled sort of "Scraouck" she fell flat on her face and morphed involuntarily into human form. "Oww. I have _got _to work on landing!" she whispered.

_Scarlet, what are you doing? _Dranzer asked, _We are supposed to be going to the abbey!_

"Hello?" I pleasant, puzzled voice said. Scarlet sat up slowly and looked at the boy.

"Hello. How're you?" She answered, knowing that she'd just probably scared the life out of Brooklyn. Surely enough, he jumped back, which was a mistake seeing as he was sitting with his back against a tree. With a yelp, he sprang forward. Scarlet laughed. "Don't worry, I'm nice." she said with a smile.

"Who are you?"

"Scarlet." Scarlet said. _I don't want to scare him off with the Dranzer story. _

"Brooklyn." he replied, "How did you get here?"

"I was that hawk." Scarlet replied, "It's a… gift of mine."

"Hmm, that's interesting."

"Thanks," Scarlet said, "I saw you sitting here, and I thought I might as well say hello."

"Do you live here, or are you traveling?" Brooklyn asked, seeming to relax a bit.

"I'm traveling with the beyblade tournaments."

"Really?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've been supporting my brother. But, I've got to get going; I promised him I'd go visit him today." She turned into the strange bird again, and ignoring Brooklyn's gasp of amazement, took off. _It wasn't that I don't like him,_ She thought to herself, _I just need to learn to trust a lot more than I do now. _She looked around her again, and with a soft cry, realized she could see her destination on the horizon. _The abbey! I'm coming Tala! I'm coming…_

At The Abbey

"Three, two, one… let it rip!" Tala launched Wolborg into the beystadium, at the same moment Ian launched Wyborg. Tala grimaced as he willed his blade to attack Wyborg. _What would it be like,_ he wondered, _If Kai hadn't taken Scarlet? _It was a question he had asked himself many times, but he still didn't know the answer. Wolborg was knocked out of the stadium quickly.

"Tala, pay attention!" Boris, who was 'supervising' the practice, snapped, "Get your head out of the clouds and focus!"

"Of course sir." Tala replied, "It won't happen again." _Who does he think he is? Really Boris, you try controlling something like Wolborg. _Of course, he wouldn't dream of saying this out loud, because this was the first place his sister would think of to look for him, and if he lost his place with The Demolition Boys, he wouldn't stay here much longer. He'd been fighting hard against the bit-beast since he got it, but he had to be able to control it. Not an easy trick, seeing as his other teammates had succumbed to the experiments they'd been through. But after eight years, he wondered if Dranzer was once again only a bit-beast, if his sister was still alive. He wouldn't dwell on these thoughts though, because if Scarlet was dead, he felt certain he could feel it. They weren't twins, Scarlet was a year younger than he was, but he'd still felt when she'd gotten that black eye from their father. Before they were abandoned, and before Kai found them on the streets and invited them to the abbey. Their father had been cruel, that much he could remember, and he would drink often. Tala and Scarlet had never known their mother, more often than not Tala wondered if she and his father had actually been married. If they were, they sure hadn't wanted kids. _And look at where I am now._ He thought bitterly. _Stuck in an abbey that wants to rule the world, and I don't have a clue how Scarlet's doing. _He launched Wolborg again, and tried to concentrate. He sent Wolborg at Wyborg quickly, wanting to finish the match soon. Wyborg deflected the attack, and sent one of his own. Wolborg stayed spinning though, and Tala sent him after Wyborg again. This time, Wolborg rammed the other. Wyborg quickly gave up, and Ian's blade clattered against the floor of the stadium. Tala called Wolborg to his hand, and ignoring Boris's praise, or what he thought was praise, walked off. He needed to think, and he needed to be alone. He was having trouble thinking straight, especially when he was around that blasted girl. He didn't even know her name. _And you don't care either. _He reminded himself. _You're supposed to be a cyborg._ Voltaire saw only what he wanted. He didn't see that Tala was still completely human. _He'll see his mistake soon. Oh, and he'll regret the day he experimented on Tala Valkov!_ He grinned slightly, lost in thoughts about how he could get rid of his tormentor. But Voltaire was Kai's grandfather, and as much as Kai acted like he didn't care about him, he was Kai's only living relative.

As he continued walking, the sweet sound of a guitar reached his ears. He followed the sound, curious as to where it was coming from. Normally, music wasn't allowed at the abbey, so whoever was playing (he could tell it was a person playing, not something prerecorded) must be either new, or really want to catch someone's attention. _Maybe mine? _The thought crossed Tala's mind, and before he could stop it, an image of the girl flashed across his mind. She had tanned skin, brown hair, and sweet, intelligent green eyes. A perfect smile, which she showed often, and a carefree attitude. But she wouldn't be like that forever. She would be brainwashed, just like everyone else. He walked closer to the sound, silent himself. A hawk, or what looked like a hawk, circled around the abbey. Tala glanced up at it, but continued walking. The guitar was getting louder, and he could make out a faint voice. Something about the color green, and eyes. He shook his head. He'd never really understood music. That was something Scarlet had been good at. The hawk screeched and dived, straight for the abbey. Tala watched its progress, realizing a second to late that it was heading for him. He put his arms over his face, waiting for talons to rip into his flesh.

Instead, a chiding voice said, "Well, that's not exactly the welcome I was hoping for, Tals." Tala slowly lowered his arms, and stared at the girl in front of him. She was about his age, maybe a year younger, dressed in full black with the exception of a scarlet scarf around her neck, with black hair and silver eyes.

"Who are you?" He asked coldly. Spies for Voltaire were everywhere, so he had to be careful.

"Tala, it's me." The girl said, "It's Scarlet."

"Scarlet?" He said, not believing who was in front of him.

Scarlet almost collapsed. "You remember!" she said, "You remember." Tala saw tears sparkling in her eyes.

"How could I forget you?" He replied, wrapping her in a hug. He pulled back quickly, however.

"I've heard… about what Voltaire did to you."

Tala shook his head in disgust. "The others were weak. They succumbed easily, but I still fight against it all.

"It all?" Scarlet asked, arching her eyebrows, "I suppose I forgot how annoying you were." She smiled.

"The experiments, the brainwashing… Where is that coming from?" The music was starting to get to him.

Scarlet smiled again. She was absolutely ecstatic that Tala remembered her. "Just around the corner. A girl's playing a guitar."

"I have to go fix that. You remember how Voltaire and Boris feel about music." Scarlet nodded at her brothers words. She remembered only too well.

"I'll come with you," she said.

"If you're seen…" Tala didn't want to think about it.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Scarlet turned into a wolf, large and black as the night. She gave a light growl, which obviously meant, 'Let's go'. Tala walked off, the wolf right behind him, nose to the ground, ears pricked forward.

He couldn't believe what had just happened. His sister had dropped from the sky as a hawk. Now she was walking behind him as a wolf. _What did Voltaire do to her? _He wondered. Turning a corner, he saw _the_ girl sitting on the sparse grass, her back against the wall. She was strumming a guitar, and singing softly. Tala made as if to walk forward, but Scarlet growled, very softly, and indicated that she wanted to go first.

"Sure?" he asked.

The wolf nodded, and softly padded over to the girl. As she got closer, the girl looked up and gasped. Scarlet instantly dropped to her belly and rolled over, and the girl seemed to relax a bit. At least, she stayed where she was. Very slowly, Scarlet stood back up, and walked towards the girl, then tentatively sniffed her hand.

"Hello there," the girl said gently, "My name's Alicia."

_Alicia. _Tala thought. _Such a beautiful name. _He shook his head lightly.

"Do you have an owner?" Alicia asked softly, looking at Scarlet's neck for a collar. Scarlet ran off towards Tala, and gently grabbed his wrist gently in her mouth. Then she dragged him over to the girl, who looked terrified. "Umm, hi." she said, "I'm really sorry about the music, I know it's not allowed, but…"

Tala smiled slightly and sat down. "I'll let you go this time." he said, "But be careful in the future. My name's Tala."

"Alicia." she replied, "Is this really your dog? Wolf… thingy? "

"Well, she's sort of a cross between the two…" Tala replied, "If that even makes sense. She comes and goes as she pleases." As if to prove the point, Scarlet streaked off. Tala glanced behind him to see what had scared her so badly, and saw Bryan walking towards the two of them. He ignored Tala and Alicia, however, and darted after Scarlet. _Oh no. Dammit, Scarlet, why? _He'd forgotten that this was the most dangerous place in the world for her to be. "I have to go." he said to Alicia, "I'm really sorry, but I've got to make sure that…" He looked at her helplessly, and she gave him a small smile.

"I understand. Go." Tala was gone before the last word was out of her mouth. She sighed. "Boys…" Shaking her head, she stood up, and rapped twice on an unmarked stone at head height. It opened into a secret storage compartment, which she had been told about by her brother. One of the secret places he and his friends had found when they were younger. She carefully placed the guitar inside, and put the brickwork back together.

Scarlet ran for her life, cursing herself for her foolishness. _This is the form that almost got me captured the last time! Why- _Her thoughts were cut short as the pounding of footsteps got louder behind her. She summoned her strength and dashed, skidding unsteadily around a corner, and tearing up the ground beneath her paws. She had no breath left to even think. All she knew was that she had to leave. Preferably with a good-bye to Tala, but if she had no other choice, she'd leave without. It was dark now. _If I can avoid capture until curfew… _The thought crossed her mind and was gone before she had a chance to fully process it. All she realized was that she had to keep running, and the footsteps were getting louder. Her breathing was loud in her ears, and she felt like she couldn't go another step.

"Bryan!" Tala's voice rang out strongly behind Scarlet, but Bryan didn't stop. He didn't even slow down. "Bryan, what do you think you're doing?"

Scarlet realized that she would have to leave, andshe would have to leave _now._ She summoned an image of a falcon in her mind, and jumped. And crashed back to the ground, her legs buckling beneath her. She was trapped.

"Well, well, well." Bryan said, standing over the now whimpering wolf, "Look at what I found. A little lost doggie." He sneered at Scarlet, and kicked her harshly. "Get up."

Scarlet's form became human, and she stood shakily. Looking over Bryan's shoulder, she mouthed to Tala 'You don't know me, remember?' then smiled. Tala nodded, amazed at what had just happened.

"Tala, I think you should take her to Voltaire. It will be… interesting to see if you remember her." Tala just looked blankly at Scarlet.

"Should I?" he asked.

"Tala?" Scarlet asked, "Tals, you don't- you don't remember me?" Tears formed in her eyes, and Tala almost cracked right then. But he remembered she was acting.

"Come with me." he said coldly. He turned around and headed towards the abbey.

"Tala, quit acting!" Scarlet begged, following him, "You _have _to remember me!"

Tala just kept walking, and Scarlet followed him, until they were out of Bryan's sight. "This won't be easy…" Tala said quietly.

"Keep acting!" Scarlet hissed, walking behind him. She'd heard Bryan coming over towards them.

"You might want this." he said, placing something around Scarlet's neck and handing something to Tala, "In case she tries to run." With that, he walked off, leaving brother and sister alone.

"A shock collar?" Tala said in disgust.

"A shock _choker._" Scarlet corrected, feeling her neck. Bryan had fastened what appeared to be a black, silver studded choker around it, and though it didn't restrict her breathing at all, it was a little too tight to be forgotten. "Tala, I have to go. I'm really sorry… But, just out of curiosity, was I right about your liking Alicia?" Tala blushed. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. See you later Tals." She gave him a quick hug, and pulled off the collar/choker.

"Bye Scars." Tala replied, remembering how much she hated that nickname, "I don't want you to come back. It's just too dangerous."

Scarlet looked like she was going to protest, but just said, "See you at the next beybattle, then." She turned into a hawk, and flew off.

"Good-bye Scarlet." Tala said after her, looking into the night sky, "Remember to watch your back."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I don't own Beyblade. If you thought I did, I have to ask where you were the first three chapters.

At the hotel

Scarlet landed on the patio, thinking back to her brother, wondering why anyone would style their hair like that. She quickly switched back to her human form, and walked inside. Looking at the wall clock, she saw that it was five minutes till midnight, and all of the lights were on, even though it looked like no one was awake.

"Hey." Scarlet jumped three feet off of the ground, and whirled around to face a disheveled neko-jin sitting on the couch.

"Gods Rei, don't _do _that!" She hissed angrily, "Do you have any _idea _how high strung I am?"

"Sorry Scarlet." Rei said, "I snuck out here earlier tonight… you have no idea how loudly a fifteen year old can snore."

"Tyson?" Scarlet asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Max." Rei rolled his eyes, "Next time, we are getting a four bedroom suite, and hang the expense."

"Hn." Scarlet glanced at the clock, and saw there were thirty seconds left until the New Year.

"I umm, I think I'll crash out here." She said, then turned into a cat and jumped into an armchair.

"Alright." Rei said, then looking up at the clock, "Happy New Year's." With a sigh, he curled up on the couch, thinking about how he'd explain to his teammates why he was out here in the morning, since they all knew Max didn't snore. Before he could figure something out, though, he was asleep.

The crow landed lightly on the balcony, and hopped over to where it had landed before. With its talons, it began to poke and scratch at the cement, which gave way almost instantly, and in a few moments, it had something held in its beak and was flying off with it. It looked like a small medallion. The crow flew towards the abbey, on the same wind currents Scarlet had taken, but went straight past it, not even looking down. It continued flying until it reached another hotel, where a teenager was waiting for it.

"Thank you Dusk." the boy said to the crow, taking the medallion from it, "I will see to getting you back to where you came from." The crow called Dusk looked up and cawed softly, but its master had already turned and gone back inside, his reddish hair fluttering in a slight breeze.

"So? Do you have it?" Mystel was lounging on an armchair in front of an electric fireplace.

"I think so. Dusk was told to find this one thing only, but crows…"

"Oh come on Brooklyn! Do you have it or not?" Ming-Ming's high-pitched, sassy voice asked.

Brooklyn gritted his teeth before answering. The girl had been getting on his nerves since she'd joined, and although she was a strong blader, he gave her little respect. "Yes." He held out his hand and showed her the medallion, made of silvery quartz, and covered in strange carvings.

"Wow! It's like, so pretty! But, umm, what's it for?"

"Mystel?" Brooklyn asked, "You were the one who insisted that I find this. Mind explaining?"

Mystel just shrugged. "I have my reasons," he said simply.

Brooklyn sighed, and flipped the medallion at Mystel. "When you want to make sense, tell me. I'm going to bed, good-night." With a yawn, he walked off.

Rei was woken by an unearthly screech the following morning. It took him a minute to remember where he was, and why. But then last night's events came back to him. Scarlet's release, how he'd stayed awake to welcome her back, and then how she'd turned into a cat and fallen asleep on one of the armchairs. He looked over to where she should be, but Scarlet was nowhere in sight. With a yawn, he stood up and looked over to where the noise had come from. There was Scarlet, surely enough, standing on the balcony, looking at the railing, which appeared demolished. Stepping outside, he stood beside her and looked at the chips of cement.

"Morning." Scarlet muttered, "I think we've got trouble." She traced an indentation in the stone with a thin finger, and a silvery spark shot up towards it. It was quickly countered with a red spark that came from Scarlet.

"What was that?" Rei asked.

"My aura." Scarlet replied, "Everyone has one, mine's scarlet, like my name. I think whatever was here was guarded with someone's life force, hence the silver spark." She continued to trace the indent, ignoring the silver sparks that shot out at her. "Yours is sort of a swirly mint- green. Peaceful."

"Um, thanks?" Rei said, looking at the silver sparks that were now engulfing Scarlet's hand. "So, you blade?"

"Yeah, growing up where I did, I didn't really have much choice. But I've always loved the sport." Scarlet smiled softly, then asked, "D'you think you can beat me?" There was a mischievous look in her eyes.

"You're on!" Rei said, "There's a stadium out in the park. Race ya!" He took off, Scarlet hot on his heels.

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

"Let it rip!" Scarlet and Rei launched their blades into the park beystadium simultaneously, and they instantly clashed, then pulled back.

_Hello Dranzer. _She thought, her hair blowing behind her in the breeze, _Darkness or light?_

_ Dark, do you not have eyes? You will have to fight hard, and count yourself lucky my dark half is still trapped._

_ I do Dranzer, I do._

"Dark Dranzer!" Scarlet called, careful not to let herself get too excited. She loved blading, but she had to be careful not to let her emotions get in her way when the darker half of her was her bit-beast.

"Driger!" Rei called. The white tiger bit-beast rose from the blade.

"Dark flame saber!"

"Tiger claw!"

A jet of black flame shot at Driger, who dodged it easily, and launched himself at the black phoenix.

"Fly." Scarlet said, "Fire storm!" Dark Dranzer flew straight up, and fireballs rained from her wings.

_Whoa… _Rei thought. _You okay Driger?_

_ Well enough master. _Driger thought back to him. _What can I do?_

_ Defend, for now. Wait for an opportunity. _

Scarlet smiled wickedly. Her silver irises were now ringed with black. "Stroblitz!"

_Oh, you have to be kidding me. _Rei thought. A gash appeared on his arm, seemingly from nowhere. _Nope, guess not._

_Scarlet, be careful. _Dranzer warned, _My dark half will take you over._

_I'm trying. _Scarlet thought, gritting her teeth.

An hour later, Kai walked out of his room, wondering why it was so quiet. He walked into the small dining room, and saw a note scribbled onto a bit of paper. _Be back by seven. –Scarlet_

Kai hoped she meant seven in the morning. Even though he'd never admit it to anyone, he'd had a crush on the girl for a long as he could remember. He hadn't seen her in ages, and last time she'd appeared, she'd admitted to trying to kill him. Not exactly the welcome he'd hoped for. He glanced up at the clock. Six fifty-two. _She should be back soon. I think I'll go wake everyone else up. I mean, are they going to sleep till noon?_

He went back to his room first, and kicked Tyson out of bed. "Get up."

"Geez Kai…" Tyson muttered, "What time… It's not even seven in the morning! What the heck?"

"Get up." He repeated, grabbing Dranzer. Even without his bit-beast, the blade was still powerful. Without another word, he walked out; heading towards the room Rei and Max were sharing. When he walked in, he was surprised to see Rei was gone. His heart gave a pained twist, which he ignored, and he shook Max awake, with the same greeting he'd given Tyson.

"Kai, come on!" Max complained tiredly, "Just because you get up at the crack of dawn doesn't mean the rest of us do!"

"The sun's been up for three hours. Now get up." Kai said.

"Where's Rei?" Max asked as he sat up.

"No idea." Kai replied frostily. He walked out of the room, and went back to the dining room. He picked up the note again and flipped it over. The back of the paper had writing on it as well. _At park, battling Scarlet. –Rei _Kai took the note and threw it in the trash.

It was now seven 'o' clock. _Late. _Kai thought. But just then there was a knock on the door. He stood up slowly and went to open it. Scarlet and Rei were standing there. They both looked a little beat up.

"Get mugged?" Kai asked as they came in.

"No." Rei replied, "Apparently Scarlet's been teaching Dranzer Bryan's Stroblitz Attack."

"So Driger aimed a few attacks at me." Scarlet looked really bad. Little sleep followed by an hour of blading apparently didn't suit her. Her eyes had black rings under them, and her hair had lost its sheen. There were four angry looking claw marks across her face, which were slowly oozing blood. "But now we match." She reached up and gently traced the cuts she'd put on Kai's face. Kai shivered at her touch, and she pulled her hand away. "Sorry."

Kai shook his head. "It's fine. Why are you up so early?"

Scarlet looked over at the balcony. "We had a visitor last night. Whoever it was took something that was buried in the cement." She led Kai over to the railing, with Rei following them. "It was protected."

"How?" Kai asked.

"A silver aura." Scarlet traced the indent, and a silver spark leapt up at her hand.

"Could it have just been Rei's?"

"No, his is green." Scarlet replied, "And yours is a sort of smoky black. Confused."

"I know that. Can you tell me whose this is?"

Rei's eyes were wandering, and they settled on a feather. He went over and picked it up. It was that of a crow. "Look at this." he said.

"It's a feather." Scarlet said dryly.

"There was a crow yesterday. It kept trying to land… it kept trying to land right where the railing is torn up!"

"Let me see that." Rei handed Scarlet the feather, and she passed a hand over it. A hazel light flickered over it; then died. "It was being controlled. Shame neither of you can see auras." She thought back to everyone she had seen, and pictured them clearly in her mind. No one in this building had an aura of that color. She thought of Brooklyn, and called an image of him to her mind. Concentrating hard, she imagined a cloud of light around him. The light took on its own substance, and then turned hazel. Her eyes snapped open. "Brooklyn."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked, "The BEGA League isn't in Russia."

"I saw Brooklyn last night, when I was headed to the abbey." Scarlet said. She left out that she'd stopped to say hello.

Kai looked as though he was going to ask more, but seemed to think better of it. "I've never heard of him controlling birds."

"His bit-beast, maybe." Rei said, "Would that be possible?"

"Zeus." Scarlet said aloud, "We can all speak the languages of our origins, meaning I can speak with birds, though not as well as Dranzer, Driger speaks to all felines, but Zeus… he is such a mix. I suppose he could, though. Kai, may I ask for another few days? I need to try to track him."

Kai's thoughts were jumbled. He didn't want Scarlet to turn back into Dranzer, but he didn't want her tracking Brooklyn either. _If I give her too much time, she'll be suspicious. But if I don't give her more, she'll be gone, and think I'm heartless. Well, that's an easy decision. _"How much longer?"

"I don't know. If he's anywhere in Russia, I can probably find him in a few days." Her eyes were fixed on the horizon.

"How about-" A loud crash interrupted Kai's words.

"I'll go see what that was." Rei said quickly. He needed to be away from Scarlet and Kai. If there were two more intimidating presences anywhere, he didn't want to know. He went back inside.

Kai shook his head. "Tyson probably stuck a fork in the microwave. Anyway, I was thinking maybe a week? That way you won't feel rushed."

"I suppose that would be nice." Scarlet said, "I didn't know you had a heart." She said this so matter-a-factly Kai almost gagged.

"My grandfather didn't turn me into a cyborg." he said quietly.

"Yet you allowed me to be turned into a bit-beast?"

"That was your decision!" Kai snapped, then turned and followed Rei inside. Scarlet stood on the balcony, letting herself become lost in thought.

_Who am I? Kai still calls me Scarlet, like he used to, and so does Tala, but at the abbey, I suppose the rest of them call me Dranzer… Brooklyn only called me Scarlet because he doesn't know what I am. I wish… I wish I were human again. Then I would go back to the abbey and help Tala tear it down brick by brick. I want to be able to live again. To know who I am. I wonder… what would have happened if I refused Voltaire? _Scarlet shook her head. "Quit living in the past!" she whispered to herself, and with that, turned and followed Kai.

AN: Please review! I'd love to hear what you think about my writing!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Beyblade. I do own Scarlet though, and this plotline. And that one other girl, Alicia

Scarlet walked quietly into the dining room, stepping cat-like around bits of food and what looked like fine china and microwave. _I don't want to know, I don't want to know… _She found out anyway.

"You're paying for that."

"Oh come on Kai! If you hadn't got us all up so early, I would've remembered not to stick anything metal in a microwave!"

"You're still paying for it." Kai said.

Scarlet tuned out the rest of the argument. _Hey Dranzer, can I be a wolf for a bit?_

_If you wish. _Dranzer replied, and Scarlet became a wolf again and jumped onto the couch. She wrinkled her nose.

_It smells like mint. Oh yeah, Rei slept here last night. He and Kai both have really strong auras… Like me and Tala. And Brooklyn. Rei's is mint, which means peace, and Tala is cinnamon, so he's headstrong. Like I didn't know that already. Kai smells exactly like campfire smoke, which means confusion or mixed loyalties, something like that, and Brooklyn… well, I still don't know. Hazel normally means nature loving, but I don't have a scent, and what someone's aura smells like is as important as what color it is. And Tala told me I smell like… what did he call it again? _She sat there and pondered the name for a moment. _Sandalwood, and he told me it was comforting. At least that's one thing we have in common, being able to see auras. _Tala and Scarlet had always been able to see auras, but they hadn't really understood it until the abbey. They'd met someone else who could see them, and she had told them both about their shared power and how they would be able to tell what a person was like by the color and scent of their aura. She had vanished two days later, and they had never seen her again. _I never even knew her name…_ Scarlet put her head between her paws and whimpered.

Max walked out of the kitchen a few minutes later, and sat down in one of the armchairs. Scarlet walked over to him and put her head on one of the armrests, letting the boy stroke her head absentmindedly. He yawned, and Scarlet picked her head up carefully to look at him.

_It's been a long time since I've seen a pure blue aura. _She thought. _And he smells like the sea. How strange… His aura matches Draciel's exactly. I wonder if that means anything. _She shook her head and trotted off, back to the balcony. She sat there, feeling the breeze running through her fur. Restless, she trotted back into the suite, down a hallway that led to two bedrooms, a bathroom and a fire escape. The fire escape's door was alarmed, so she turned around and went back to the living room, thinking back to the beybattle she'd fought with Rei earlier that day. _He is strong, and at one with Driger. I think it has been a while since he has been at one with any of his masters. Why am I so tired? Dranzer, I'll take my human form back again. _Human again, she walked into the kitchen, her black hair rippling behind her.

Tyson was trying to clean up the shards of microwave, grumbling about it the entire time.

"Here." She said irritably, "Let me do that." She waved one hand, and the wreckage picked itself up and repaired itself.

"Wha- How did you do that?" Tyson asked.

"It's easy." Scarlet said, "Anyone could do it if they could control their aura." She looked at Tyson, focusing her eyes to see his aura, but she couldn't find it. _No, wait. There! _All she could see of his aura was a faint bend in the light. _Aw, man. A clear aura… those are so rare… _She wasn't exactly sure what they meant. The girl who had spoken to her and Tala hadn't said much about them, only that they were rare. Like, she herself had only heard of them rare. _And he's Dragoons master. _"I'm going on a walk."

"You should stay." Scarlet jumped at Kai's voice.

"Since when do you care about me?" she asked.

"Since I stole Dranzer."

"Really?" Scarlet asked, "Because that's about the same time I started hating you. I'll be back in an hour." She turned and walked off.

"Dranzer, I order you to stay." Kai snapped, and Scarlet froze. Swearing under her breath, she went over to the living room again, and sat down.

"Quit taking advantage of me." she said, "And how am I going to be able to track Brooklyn stuck here?"

"You can start looking for him later. You look half dead. You need to rest."

"No, I don't." Scarlet snapped, "And don't bother trying to order me to sleep." Her sliver eyes flashed like knife blades as she stood up, and Kai winced. "I'm leaving."

"Dranzer, stay!" Kai snapped, "Follow orders."

"I was wrong when I said you had a heart." Scarlet said, frozen where she stood, and speaking through gritted teeth. "I can't believe I was fooled so easily." There was a blinding flash of scarlet light, and a scream, and Scarlet was gone, leaving a faint scent of sandalwood and two shocked bladers.

"Umm, what just happened?" Tyson asked. Kai didn't answer, but walked over to where Scarlet had been a moment before. Her scarf was lying there, red as blood, and as Kai picked it up he saw something stitched into the neck of the scarf, in cream colored thread, so finely done it was practically invisible. Two initials:

_**K H**_

Scarlet appeared outside of the hotel, feeling like her whole body was on fire. But she knew what she had to do. She had to find Brooklyn. Maybe he would take pity on her, a poor, helpless girl who had had a horrible life. _I can't believe I ever - I ever thought he- _"Argh!" _Okay, so I've got… less than a day to get a new life. Great. Well, I can't go back now. Dranzer, any advice?_

_ You should learn to forgive. _The phoenix said in the back of her mind,_ Kai made a mistake, and he is realizing it right now. Go back._

Scarlet shook her head, and stepped forward, wincing in pain as she tore herself further from her master. The part of her that was Dranzer was being ripped away from her, slowly, painfully. It would kill her if she didn't stop, but Scarlet pressed on, focusing her eyes to look at peoples auras, looking for one that was hazel. Morning gave way to afternoon, and she became so weak she could barely walk.

_Go back! _Dranzer screeched in her mind. _Give him one more chance! _The phoenix was in mortal agony, but still Scarlet pressed on, tears dripping off her nose as she thought about what she was doing. It was only sheer willpower that kept her going. But still she looked for Brooklyn's hazel aura; still she walked on, ignoring everyone around her, ignoring wolf whistles as the sun sank down into the horizon, some aimed at her, some not.

Exhausted and shaking, she came to a hotel, looking up at it with unfocused eyes. _Dranzer? _Even her thoughts sounded faint.

_Yes Scarlet, I am here. You will die soon if you do not turn back. Why do you resist our master's calls?_

_ Because our 'master' is a total jerk. _Scarlet thought, her legs giving out. Barely catching herself before she hit the unforgiving sidewalk, she caught a flicker of hazel light out of the corner of her eye. It seemed to be coming towards her, and in a few seconds, she saw Brooklyn's face hovering over her own, and a girl's who she didn't recognize. Everything was fuzzy, and although Scarlet could see their mouths moving, she couldn't make out any sounds. Slowly, Brooklyn extended a hand to her, which she took and tried to pull herself up. Brooklyn looked like he was trying to ask her something, but shook his head when he realized she couldn't hear him and put her arm around his shoulder, motioning to her that they were going back inside. Scarlet nodded weakly, but she could barely pick up her feet.

_You are moving to far from Kai. _Dranzer said. _I am sorry Scarlet, but I must do this. _Scarlet's body slowly began to dissolve, much to Brooklyn's amazement, in crimson light. In a few moments, she had completely disappeared.

"Kai?" Tyson asked, knocking on the door. The dual-haired blader had been locked in his room for the entire day, and no amount of pleading, begging, or threatening could get him to come out. "Kai, come on, you're gonna miss dinner!" After five minutes, when he still hadn't gotten an answer, he walked off.

"He's not coming." Tyson said to the rest of the team, shrugging, "I don't understand it."

"Well, come on. If he's going to starve himself, let him." Rei had been acting depressed, but everyone thought it was because after they left Russia, they'd be headed off to Asia, where they'd have to battle his old team. Slowly, the team left.

"Scarlet, why?" Kai whispered to himself, looking at the initials stitched into the scarf, "Why do you shut yourself away?" With a flash of crimson, Dranzer reappeared in his blade. Blinking stars out of his eyes, he reached over to the blade, studying it carefully. He had never really looked at his blade this closely before, and small details jumped out at him. How each feather was painted with perfection, how the phoenix's eyes seemed to glitter with life. How it-

_Quit staring at me! _A voice in his head snapped.

_Scarlet?_

_ Who do you think? Let me out! _Kai winced as she began yelling.

_I think I'll let you cool off first. I'd like to live to see tomorrow._

_ Oh ha ha. _Scarlet thought dryly, _I've forgotten how to laugh._

_ You left your scarf. _Kai thought.

_Let me out! _Scarlet pleaded. _I won't kill you! I need that! _

_Whatever. _Kai thought, setting the blade back down. It started spinning on its own. Slowly at first, but then so fast it was able to stand. Another burst of crimson light, and Scarlet was standing there.

"I thought I asked you to let me out. I'm still released for another day." There was something different about her, something in her eyes. Pure, undying, hate. "And I'd like my scarf back, if you don't mind."

Kai handed it to her silently, and she tied it around her neck without comment.

"Why do you have 'K H' stitched into that?"

"None of your business." Scarlet snapped.

"Really? I think my initials would make it my business."

"You aren't the only person in this world with those initials!" Again with the 'eyes like knife blades' look.

"So whose are they?" Kai asked. Scarlet didn't answer. "So they are mine?"

"Why would you care?" Scarlet snapped suddenly, "Why?"

_I can't tell her. She'd kill me. No, she'd probably kiss me, then kill me. I wonder if the kiss would be worth it. _"I just want to know," he said after a moment.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and sat down cross-legged on the floor. "Okay, if you want to know." she took a deep breath, "It's what ties me to you. As Dranzer."

"What?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"I don't know really. All I know is what Dranzer told me, and that I hurts really bad when I take it off." Sitting on the floor, Scarlet shivered. "It burns."

The two sat there for a few minutes, in complete silence. Master and bit-beast. "Do you remember the abbey?" Kai asked suddenly, "After Tala… left? Before you changed?"

Scarlet thought about it for a few moments, staring at the floor. "Kind of. It was so brief… so long ago."

"Do you remember any cooking?" Kai asked, bracing himself for severe injury. Not for stunned silence, followed by hysterical laughter.

"Oh my God, yes! I remember… oh wow, no wonder I took pity on Tyson. I remember blowing up like… half of one of the kitchens." Scarlet shakily stood up, then walked over to the door. "And you locked yourself in…" she muttered, trying the doorknob. She unwound her whip from around her waist, and it turned into a black ripcord, with which she proceeded to pick the door open.

"Nice trick." Kai commented.

"Yeah, I used to sneak out of my room at night at the abbey." Scarlet replied, "I had to teach myself."

"Really?"

"Yes, you'd be amazed how much better food tastes when you steal it." She smirked, "Oh, wait, no you wouldn't."

"Ha, ha, ha…" Kai said as he followed her out, "So, are you going to kill me?"

"Nah, too much work." Scarlet said with a shrug, looking around in a cupboard. "First, I'd have to go through the actual trouble of killing you. Then I'd have to figure out what to do with your body, and come up with an excuse as to why you mysteriously vanished off the face of the earth. Not to mention-"

"I don't want to know." Kai said, cutting her off.

"I was going to say, 'not to mention the guilt'." Scarlet said, now going through the contents of the fridge, "How do you feel about pizza?"

"Pizza's fine." Kai said, "Try not to blow up the microwave again."

"I'm not as dumb as Tyson." Scarlet's black hair flickered for a few seconds, and tiny blue and gray highlights appeared in her hair. She appeared not to notice though, "Besides, this goes in the oven."

"Then try not to blow up the oven." Kai said dryly. There was a knock at the door, and they both jumped. Whoever it was knocked again. "I'll get it. Don't hide." Kai said, going to open the door. Standing there was the most unlikely couple in history. "Please do come in." Kai said, his eyes revealing nothing to Scarlet. Hilary stepped in, followed by-

"Tala!" Scarlet cried, "What are you doing here?"

"Who're you?" Hilary asked.

"My name's Scarlet." Scarlet answered with a nod of her head, "I recognize you."

"Tala, why are you here?" Kai asked, "I thought no one was permitted to leave the abbey."

"Yeah, you made a slight mistake in showing me your escape route." Tala said, "But there's trouble at the abbey. More than usual, anyway." It was then that Scarlet and Kai noticed the twigs in his hair, and that his hair was drooping out of its normal gravity defying spikes.

"How long did it take you to get over here?" Scarlet asked.

"The day." Tala replied, "I met Hilary in the lobby, so… Is that pizza?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Yes, and you traveled all the way from the abbey for pizza. Somehow I doubt that."

Tala laughed, "True, I came for a different reason. I missed my sister."

Scarlet hugged him, "I missed you too, but you told me not to come back to the abbey."

"Yeah, I make some pretty stupid decisions, don't I?"

"Yes." Scarlet said, "You do. And that is why you smell like cinnamon."

"So," Hilary said, ruining a perfect brother sister reunion moment, "You're Tala's sister?"

"Yes. Of course, I've only seen him once in nine years… and that was last year."

"Oh, that's horrible!" Hilary asked, "Can I ask why?"

Scarlet glanced at Kai, who shrugged. "It's a long story."

"Well," Hilary said, "We've got until everyone else comes back from… wherever they went."

"I really don't think I'd be able to tell it." Scarlet said, "I'll just give you a summary. I lived at the abbey with Kai and Tala until I was six. Tala was taken away for 'training'-"

"More like boot camp." Tala interrupted.

"Well, Kai started acting cold… and I was driven completely insane by the fact Tala and I were separated. We had never been more than a few miles apart our entire lives until then, and we'd always known where the other was. So, one day, I think that was the day I'd finally beaten Kai in a beybattle, Voltaire came up to me with an offer. He told me that he needed some 'brave' and 'strong'… thinking about this bit really makes me gag, sorry. But anyway, he convinced me that there was a way for me to see Tala again. He told me that I could become a bit-beast. Tala's bit-beast. But it all went wrong." She sighed and looked at the floor, while Kai stared at her. She'd never spoken this much at once. "Kai stole Dranzer, and well, nine years later, here I am, telling my story to you all." she shrugged, "The pizza's ready. It'll be plenty for three."

"So, you're a bit-beast?" Hilary asked, "Wait, there are four of us!" Both Hilary and Tala looked puzzled.

"Well, I have no need to eat. I don't actually know if I can." Scarlet said, taking the pizza out of the oven and setting it on the table. "I've stopped thinking about it."

"You've gone nine years without eating?" Tala asked in amazement.

"And you thought I was an anorexic back at the abbey." Scarlet teased, "Dig in, I'm pretty sure I didn't poison a frozen pizza."

"I don't know…" Tala said, "I seem to recall you blowing up a kitchen back at the abbey."

"Actually, it was half a kitchen," Scarlet said wearily as Hilary started laughing. "Don't even ask how it happened."

Scarlet watched them as they ate, still unsure as to why Tala had come. _I hope everything's alright… of course, when was the last time everything was? _She couldn't remember. First it had been their father, then the abbey, then Tala leaving, her becoming Dranzer and being stolen by Kai before she could be given to Tala, the last time she'd appeared in her human form… _My life has been a downhill trip since day one. I suppose I should be grateful Kai took me and Tala to the abbey, though it's hard sometimes. _Hilary was asking her something.

"Scarlet?"

"Yes?" She replied.

"Umm, well, why did you agree to become Dranzer?" The room temperature dropped ten degrees.

"You… you have no idea…" Scarlet whispered, "How it felt. How convincing Voltaire sounded, even though Kai had told me and Tala a million times both that we shouldn't trust him… Sometimes, I think it was worth it. Most days though, I curse myself for making such a stupid decision. I wish that Dranzer and I were separated, but I know of no way. Dranzer hasn't a clue either, nor the bit-beasts I have battled." With a sigh, she stood up. "I'll leave you to your meal." She walked over to the balcony, which was quickly becoming her favorite place in the suite, and stepped outside. She looked at the few stars she could see over the bright city lights, and thought about Brooklyn.

_He isn't who you think he is._ Dranzer thought.

_What do you mean? _Scarlet thought back to her.

_That is all I can tell you. _Dranzer replied.

"Thanks a lot…" Scarlet grumbled. Sometimes having an ancient being in the back of one's head didn't mean everything.

A few minutes later, Tala walked over to her. "Hey." He said, his voice less than cheerful.

"Hi." Scarlet replied with equal enthusiasm. "Why did you come?"

"Because…" Tala seemed to be choosing his words carefully, "You can't-"

Kai walked over to the two of them and stood on Scarlet's other side, leaning on the railing. His appearance was casual enough, but he seemed tense, agitated.

"What were you saying, Tals?" Scarlet asked.

"Nothing." Tala sighed, "Not a thing." Scarlet took the hint and didn't press the subject. The door opened and closed, and the three heard Hilary greeting the rest of the team.

"You know they're going to freak out when they see you, right?" Scarlet asked her brother.

"I suppose… Wait, do they know we're related?" Tala asked.

"Yeah." Scarlet replied. "I didn't even get to see the looks on their faces."

"I have to get back to the abbey." he said.

"Why?"

"I've been gone for a day. You think they won't have noticed?"

"Oh." Scarlet said. "May your aura be pure." They'd been using this as a formal good-bye since they realized they could see auras.

"And yours." Tala said, and walked back through the door to the suite, ignoring everyone else. Kai followed him, but Scarlet stayed where she was.

_This is my last night unless Kai will let my look for Brooklyn. Might as well make the most of it. Dranzer, can I be that bird from earlier? _

_Sure thing. _She turned into the strange black bird that wasn't crow or hawk, and flew off into the night sky.

Please R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Disclaimer: I don't own. I never will. I just want to write. Please don't sue me.

Scarlet was still circling when Kai walked back out onto the balcony. Rei, Max, Tyson, Kenny, and Hilary were with him.

_Dranzer, come. _A silent call. Scarlet flattened her wings and dived towards them, landing on the railing, looking at the four bladers, Hilary and Kenny, then turned back into herself.

"Wow," Hilary said, "You can shape shift?"

"Dranzer can," Scarlet said dismissively. "It's nothing special." Hilary stared at her like it was indeed something special, but Scarlet ignored her. "Nice to see you all again."

"We're going to Asia." Kai said, "Tomorrow."

"Good evening to you too." Scarlet said sarcastically, "Evening or morning?"

"Morning." Kai replied, "Do you want to try to find Brooklyn tonight?"

"I don't think I could." Scarlet replied, remembering the pain she'd felt as she walked away from Kai.

"Alright." Kai said indifferently. "Get some sleep everyone." He walked back inside, followed by everyone but Rei and Max.

"Where are you sleeping?" Max asked.

"Here." Scarlet said, "It'll be nice. I like the outdoors."

"Okay." Max said, and left, leaving Rei alone with Scarlet. The two of them stood there in silence.

"You should go in." Scarlet said, "It's cold out here."

Rei didn't move. "Who are you?" He asked quietly. Scarlet tensed.

"Why would you want to know?" She asked suspiciously, her silver eyes glittering.

"You come out of nowhere and vanish. You don't seem human."

"I'm not." Scarlet said, "I am an experiment. I will never be simply 'human' again. I used to be a normal abbey kid. I had red hair, and blue eyes, like my brother. I was a decent blader, but nowhere near as strong as I am now. I had a life, friends, family… and now look at me. I'm a mess. I look like… like a demon. I've gotten myself into more than I can handle. And- I'm sorry, I'm probably boring you."

"Not at all." Rei said truthfully.

"I used to be human. Now I just don't know what I am, if I'm Scarlet or if I'm Dranzer. Driger was kind to me; he'd sometimes show me an old trick or two that would increase the strength of my attacks, like he didn't want to see me hurt. He showed me Stroblitz, and how I could teach the move to Dranzer." She gave him a sheepish smile.

"Well, I'll heal." Rei said.

"I'm really sorry about that." Scarlet said, "Dranzer's darker half is… well, I suppose dark would be expected." She sighed and turned into a wolf, then curled up on the cement. Rei took this to mean their conversation was over, and with a quick 'good-night' he walked inside. It _was_ cold out.

_Kai never told us to stay. _Dranzer thought.

_Yes, but could we try to find Brooklyn in a night? _Scarlet thought back.

_I suppose not. _Dranzer relented, _Good night._

Scarlet closed her eyes, and was asleep in a minute.

The next morning, Kai woke up and saw that Dranzer had returned to his blade. He pocketed it with a slight smile; then tried to get Tyson up.

"Oh come on… the flights at like…"

"Seven. Get up." Kai shook his head; then went to see if anyone else was awake.

_I am… _Scarlet thought, _Can you release me?_

_You'll have to wait until we're in Asia. _Kai thought, _I don't know what people will think of you. Besides, Voltaire might recognize you._

_Hmph. Well, how long till you're in Asia? _Scarlet thought.

Kai ignored the question, and walked out into the kitchen. Rei, Max, and Kenny were sitting there, and all of them looked tired.

"Morning…" Max yawned. Kai nodded, but didn't respond.

_Excuse me, I asked you a question. _Scarlet thought. Kai still didn't answer. _KAI!_ Kai jumped.

"Umm, you okay?" Rei asked.

"Yeah." Kai said, thinking, _Shut up Scarlet! I don't know when we'll be there._

_Oh, so now you're going to tell an all powerful being to shut up?_

_You're not all powerful. Dranzer isn't even all powerful. _That shut her up.

Tyson walked in, glared at Kai, and sat down.

_Oh come on! _Scarlet begged, _Let me torch his hair! Please?_

Kai smiled.

"What?" Tyson asked.

"Scarlet just offered to torch your hair." Kai answered.

"Umm, no thanks…" Tyson said, taking a step back.

_Oh come on! Just let me out. You can tell anyone who asks you have a cat._

_Oh yeah. A fire breathing cat. Sure._

_I sense sarcasm. _

Max looked at the clock. Rei looked at the clock. Tyson yawned and looked at the clock.

"We'd better get going." Kai said, "And if anyone asks, we bought a guard dog." And with that, he muttered, "Dranzer, I release you until I see fit you return to my blade."

With a flash, Scarlet appeared. "Thanks." She said, then turned into a mean looking black dog that looked like a cross between a German shepherd and husky.

_Guard mutt at your service. _Dranzer thought, _I'm not too good with pure breeds, sorry._

Someone knocked on the door. Scarlet growled deep in her throat, but it was just Hilary."Wow, you got a dog?" She asked.

"It's Scarlet." Kai said.

"Oh… Well, that means she won't hurt me at least." She walked over to Scarlet and stroked her head.

_If she even thinks about putting bows or ribbons in my hair I'll rip her throat out. _Scarlet thought to Kai, _You should tell her this, because I think it's hard to get blood out of carpets._

"She says not to put bows in her fur…" Kai said. Everyone stared at him. "Just passing on the message…" he muttered.

_I didn't think you'd actually do that! _ Scarlet laughed, it sounded like a hoarse bark. _Wow… Okay, thank you… that was a laugh…_

"Stupid mutt," he said. Scarlet raised her hackles and growled menacingly.

_Watch it. If you die, I can release myself, and I'm _always _looking for an excuse._

"You've already said killing me would be too much work." Kai snapped at the dog, earning him several strange looks.

"We can understand each other's thoughts." Scarlet said, briefly transforming into herself to say it. Then she was a dog again, growling and wagging her tail.

"We should get going," Hilary said, "We need to get to the airport."

_Umm, weird girl say what? _Scarlet thought, _I'm not getting in a dog carrier._

"I'm not weird!" Hilary snapped. "Wait, how'd I hear that?"

_I haven't got a clue. Did anyone else hear anything?_

No one answered.

_You know what, Hilary? I think we'll be friends. If I ever become human again. _

"Umm, thanks Scarlet!" Hilary said, wondering if she should sign up for therapy sessions. _I'm talking to a dog. That just can't be normal._

Scarlet barked. Loudly enough to make everyone in the room flinch. _We should go. I think I can get through security without being noticed._

"How?" Hilary asked.

_Easy. A smaller dog. Dranzer, could you do that?_

_Course I could, _Dranzer replied. _Though I've never tried it before. _Scarlet felt the familiar burning sensation that accompanied transformations, and in her place was a cute shitzu dog.

Scarlet shivered. _When did y'all get so tall? Ooh a rhyme! _She ran in happy little circles, jumping up and down. _Oh my God, what's wrong with me? _

"Umm, what happened to the other Scarlet?" Hilary asked, looking at Kai. He shrugged.

_Dranzer, why am I acting so… preppy? I'm annoying, sarcastic, even downright mean sometimes, but not preppy!_

_When you take on an animal's form, you have to take some of that animal's personality as well, _Dranzer explained. _Let me help a bit._ Scarlet felt her mind clear, and she sighed mentally. It was nice having her head back on her shoulders again. Figuratively, of course.

_Thanks. _She thought, yawning. _I'm tired. _

_One more thing. _Dranzer said softly, and a dog sized purse appeared on the floor. Scarlet lazily flopped in and almost immediately started snoring. _Scarlet, you have so much ahead of you. Sleep peacefully. It might be the last time you are able to. _Scarlet treated Dranzer like a friend, but Dranzer thought she was like a mother to the poor girl. She did her best to take care of her, but there was only so much she could do. And she knew she couldn't protect her from what was ahead. Whatever the future held, Scarlet would have to face it alone.

AN: I just love suspense, don't you? Please review! I've got anonymous reviews enabled, so you don't even have to sign in or have an account! Please? I really need the support to keep this going between The Eternal Maiden (my other fic) and school, and I'm seriously considering putting this on hiatus for that time unless you guys (and girls) can convince me otherwise.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Well, I think it's pretty obvious I don't own… but I suppose I must say I don't. Also, thank you my reviewers, andysanime, Taniaea, splitheart1120, and RawrCutieKari, thank you all so much for the nice reviews!

Scarlet woke up on a plane. The purse she was in was on Hilary's lap, and she stroked Scarlet's head softly. "Glad you're awake," she said, "Take a look outside." They were sitting by a window, Tyson snoring on their right. Scarlet did so, and saw they were actually over the clouds.

_Wow, _she thought, _I've never been up this high. Have you Dranzer? _The phoenix didn't answer. _Dranzer? Come on, this isn't funny!_

_Scarlet, I can't stay with you much longer. We are unraveling._ Dranzer sounded weak.

_What do you mean? _Scarlet asked, panicked, _Stay with me at least till Asia!_

_I can try… but the thing is, we can't be separated, not without the right… I don't know. I think it's an ancient amulet that we used to pull our dark halves away from us. It could separate us fully, but it's been lost to time. _She sighed; Scarlet could picture her shaking her head. _But you see, if we cannot find it, we will be two bodies with one mind. I do not think you would be able to survive. _Scarlet shivered, curling up in the purse again.

_Dranzer, what does the amulet look like? _She closed her eyes, so that Dranzer could send a better mental image, and saw a quarter sized medallion, made of some sort of silvery, quartz-like stone, covered in black carvings.

_It is an ancient separation amulet, very dangerous in the wrong hands. It was lost before the end of the Last Ages. _Scarlet knew the Last Ages had been the last century bit-beasts had been able to walk the Earth from what Dranzer had taught her, and that it had been about two thousand years ago. She curled up and slept again, wondering how she could live through life's newest challenge.

With Tala

_So bored… _Tala thought, _Train, train, train… all I do around here. _He was walking back to the abbey; it was curfew, and he hadn't seen Alicia all day. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen her since Scarlet had visited. He switched his thoughts to his sister, wondering again what had happened to her. He'd thought she was dead, yet there she had stood, as annoying as ever, her aura still scarlet, still smelling of sandalwood. The peaceful warrior. Scarlet auras normally meant the person was strong willed, while sandalwood was comforting. But _what _had happened to her? How had she come back from the dead, and with the ability to change her form? Why was her hair black, her eyes silver? He shook his head and continued to the abbey, never registering the plane passing overhead, carrying his sister amongst its passengers. _Scarlet, you have to be okay. I found you and lost you again so quickly… be safe._

With Alicia

"Sir?" Alicia asked, "You wanted me?" She poked her head through the door, wondering what it was about this time. Last time it had been about that dog Tala had. Something about an experiment too. She hadn't understood a bit about it, except that if she saw the dog again, she had to report it at once.

"Yes, please do come in," Boris answered, making Alicia shiver. Being the only girl at the abbey wasn't anything to be proud of. The only good thing was that she had a room to herself, but she was automatically branded the weakest blader there (although she wasn't) and was teased often, sometimes worse. She'd led a rough life, but knew that, someday, somehow, she'd get out of there. But since Kai had shunned both Biovolt and Bega, his work had fallen to her. She didn't even know how they were related; only that they were, and she'd always said he was her brother to shut people up. They didn't look anything alike, and didn't think alike either. "You see, I've found a bit of… _research _for you to do."

"You mean spying," she snapped back, "The answer is no. I'm sick of it." She stood up, only to freeze at Boris's next words.

"And I have a deal for you as well." Slowly she sat back down, her green eyes glittering with suspicion. "You see, if you can carry out your instructions, I will allow you to walk out of here, without being stopped," Alicia stared at him. Her wildest dreams were coming true. "And I will tell you the truth about Kai as well."

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, "Sir?"

"This." And so Boris began to explain his plan.

In Asia

Scarlet didn't wake again until the team, Hilary and Kenny were settled in their respective rooms, and even then Hilary had to shake Scarlet awake. The black shitzu shook her head and opened her eyes. _Are we there? _She asked Hilary drowsily.

"Yup, you can switch back to being yourself again," Hilary said, giving the dog one last scratch behind her ears before it turned back into Scarlet. She seemed more awake than usual, her silver eyes flashing in the light like freshly minted dimes.

"Where are the others?" She asked, taking in her surroundings with a glance. _Dranzer, are you still with me? _

_Yes, _Dranzer replied. _But barely._

_Hang in there. _Scarlet thought, shivering at a chill that wasn't there.

"They're in their rooms, I suppose," Hilary said, "Why?" Scarlet stood up, her scarf hanging at her back like a pair of limp wings.

"I need to talk to Kai. Come with me." She walked out of the room, with Hilary following her. She seemed to know where she needed to go, and they were at one of the rooms in a minute. She knocked and waited for about a minute, but no one appeared to be there. She shrugged and closed her eyes. _Kai, where are you?_

_I'm… _It was like a bad phone connection, and Scarlet's mind suddenly went blank.

_What? _

_I said… top floor… 1012… _Scarlet shook her head again.

_Dranzer, you okay? _Scarlet asked, feeling the phoenix's presence fading. She didn't reply, but Scarlet knew that somehow, someway, she would find that amulet. She beckoned for Hilary to follow her, and jogged lightly towards a flight of stairs.

"I'm going to take the stairs because I don't want to be caught on camera, but you can take the elevator if you want," she said, setting off. Hilary looked at the stairs, sighed, and followed Scarlet.

_Best know where I'm going. _She thought, trying to shake away a feeling of unease she couldn't place. She knew something was wrong with Scarlet, something the girl wasn't telling her, but she wasn't sure what. But it quickly became apparent Scarlet was in pain. She was dragging her left leg a bit, and her breath came in quick gasps. _She could just be tired. _Hilary thought, but she didn't think so. She was glad when they finally got to wherever Scarlet was headed. Hilary followed her to a door marked 1012, and wondered why the rooms were so far apart. She didn't have time to though, because Scarlet knocked quickly, and the door was opened.

"I need to talk to Kai," she said, "About Dranzer…" It was Kai who had opened the door. He glared at Hilary.

"She's delirious," he spat as a greeting, "What happened to her?" He helped Scarlet in and nodding for her to follow.

"She- I don't know." Hilary said quietly. _Why do I have to be here? What am I supposed to say? He's nothing like the others… _"She just said she needed to see you."

"Dranzer, tell me what's going on," he said, and a voice that didn't belong to the girl half- conscious on the couch answered:

"The experiment is incomplete. We are unraveling." Scarlet gasped and shook her head.

"I know what I have to do. You will not like it, but I'll live." This time Scarlet was speaking. Kai's eyes widened.

"Scarlet, you can't go back!" He shook her gently.

"Call Voltaire, Kai. I've known who you were the whole time. And try to contact Bega. Ask about an amulet." Hilary stared at Kai, who stared at Scarlet.

_You forgot, master, that you and I share thoughts, and I share thoughts with Scarlet. _Kai's eyes widened in shock, but he got up and went over to the phone. Numbly, he dialed his grandfather's number. Voltaire picked up on the second ring.

"Yes?"

Kai took a deep breath and forced his voice back to his normal, cold tones. "The experiment is unraveling."

"Ah, I've been wondering about that. We'll send someone to bring it back. If we can figure out what went wrong, we might be able to fix it." He hung up. Kai was shaking from fury. It wasn't every day he formed emotional attachments to people, and it stung to have Scarlet being called 'it'.

"Someone's coming," he muttered, "And I hope its Tala." Tala would be able to get Scarlet to safety somewhere, while he looked for the amulet Dranzer was yelling at him about. A quarter sized, silver medallion, which had been lost to time. _Any hints? _He asked Dranzer.

"Hotel…" Scarlet coughed. She wasn't doing well, but there was nothing that could be done for her right now. Of that much Kai was sure. The phone rang, and Hilary glanced at it questioningly before Kai went to answer.

"Hello," a soft voice said, "Am I right when I say you are Kai Hiwatari?"

"Who are you?" Kai snapped back.

"No, no," the voice said, "That isn't the question. However, I am willing to put aside names, because I know who you are. And I have what you need."

"What do you mean?" Kai asked.

"You would know, brother." The line went dead. Kai stared at the phone like it had just predicted the day of his death. He shook his head and left. Leaving Hilary to wonder what the heck was going on, and Scarlet… well, Scarlet could have been dead for all anyone knew.

"Kai, wait!" Hilary called, trying to catch up with him.

"Stay with Scarlet," he said, "And stay far away from me." Hilary stopped dead, wondering whether she should feel insulted or not, and Kai ran down the corridor. He took the stairs, hoping that it might give him time to think, to figure out what to do when whoever it was came. He knew it wouldn't take long. Even as he was moving, someone was probably fueling the abbey's helicopter, or maybe the jet. He wondered if it had really been Alicia on the phone. He'd have to check up on her next time he visited the abbey. The dingy, hellhole that was the abbey. Maybe he'd try to get her out. Maybe he'd take a bullet for someone while he was at it. _There's no way you'd be able to get someone out of there. What Tala did was near impossible. Leave her where she'll at least be safe. _He was so sick of having to sacrifice everyone he'd ever cared about for… God, he didn't even know what! _I hate my life. _He reached the bottom of the stairs right then, and stepped outside. _How…? _How had the helicopter gotten here so fast? It couldn't get to here from Russia in that amount of time. But the helicopter wasn't there. Just Bryan, and oh how he _loathed _Bryan.

"Well, I suppose this isn't what you expected," Bryan said, "But we had to get here fast. Bit-beast travel is so much faster than conventional…" he sighed, "Show me where it is."

"She," Kai snapped, "is called Scarlet." Bryan gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything. Silently Kai led him back to the room where he'd left Scarlet, and… _Hilary! Dranzer, tell Hilary to get out of there, now! _

_Of course… master… _The phoenix's thoughts were so faint, they were hardly audible. But he knew she would follow orders. Sure enough, when they got to his room, Hilary was nowhere to be seen. But, neither was Scarlet, at first sight. But when they looked closer, Bryan found a black, bone thin wolf unconscious, halfway to the window. Either Scarlet was a really good actor, or she'd seriously considered suicide.

"Doesn't seem like it- sorry, _she, _wants anything done for her… but orders are orders." He grabbed Scarlet by the scruff of her neck, and dragged her out, Kai doing his best to try not to injure him. When Bryan had reached the bottom of the stairs, (Kai was considering throttling him) and was outside, he called, "Falborg, come!" Instantly, the falcon bit-beast appeared, and Bryan jumped aboard it like it was a horse. Scarlet was flung behind him like a piece of luggage, if a live wolf could be considered luggage, and the falcon took off. Kai turned, and went back to his room, seething, to be met with an equally seething Hilary.

"Why did you let them take her?" She practically yelled at him, "And what did she mean, 'I've known who you were the whole time?' You can't not tell me!"

"Watch me," he snapped, and shut the door in her face, locking it. He'd hear about that later, he was certain, but he was really beyond caring.

At the Abbey

Alicia paced, carefully counting the steps it took to cross her room. Six steps to get from her door to the small window and six to get back. Of course, she did have a really long stride, so it wasn't really as small as it sounded. _I really am his sister. Why did I never know? _And why had they locked her in her room? _I should have known that part of the deal was bogus. I want to wring Boris's neck! _She punched the door, yelping as her fist was encased in splinters. "Oww…" she muttered, yanking her hand out of the door and trying to pull the splinters out. Her knuckles were bloody, and the splinters bled profusely when they were removed, making her wince. She hated blood. It made her queasy. And that was about the point the door opened enough to allow a wolf to be thrown in with a yelp. It was, of course, Scarlet, but she looked quite a bit better. Her fur was glossy, and her eyes had their silver sparkle back. She looked up at Alicia, and the door slammed. Then she padded over to the girl, and stood up on her hind legs, staring into her eyes.

_Let me help you. In return, you will help me. I brand myself to you, Alicia Hiwatari. _Alicia stumbled backwards at the shock, causing Scarlet to collapse on the floor. She quickly walked over to the wolf, and stroked her head quietly for a few minutes.

"I'll help you, of course," she said, "But what is it you could help me with?"

_I can get the splinters out of your hand. And help you get out of here. I am Scarlet, Tala's sister. The phoenix experiment; Dranzer. Call me what you will. _She stood up and shook, dust and flecks of blood flying away from her. She'd been 'repaired', as Voltaire had said, but she wasn't leaving anytime soon. She felt a bit sick still, but much better than she had before. Alicia held her hand out to the wolf and Scarlet reassumed her human form. She looked a bit paler than usual, but otherwise fine. "What, did you think Tala's sister was really a _wolf?" _She laughed, and began pulling the splinters out of Alicia's hand. She winced occasionally, but Scarlet knew what she was doing.

"You're Tala's sister?" Alicia asked, "I didn't know he had any relatives."

"I didn't know Kai had anyone but Voltaire." Scarlet replied, and when she saw Alicia's look of amazement, she said, "It was the way you walked. You both have that regal stride. Just this one little one left…" She dug one last, tiny sliver of wood out of Alicia's hand, and passed her other hand over it. For just a second, their aura's flared, Scarlet's scarlet one, and Alicia's copper one, and the cuts on her hand were healed.

"Wow, cool!" Alicia muttered, "But, can I ask what you meant by 'I brand myself to you'?" Scarlet seemed to find the floor very interesting.

"I am… your bit-beast now. I have branded myself to you as a servant, and you are my mistress. Look, I've got the brand already." She flipped over her hand, and as Alicia watched, Scarlet's flesh burned and the initials 'A-H' appeared on her wrist. "With Kai it was a scarf, but I suppose you've got some sort of reason it appeared here… You don't have to tell me if you don't want." But Alicia flipped over her own wrist, her right one, and Scarlet gasped when she saw the pale, spider-web scars on it.

"It was a few years back, after one of my worst weeks here. I'd been beaten, bullied, I suppose you could even say tortured, and I just wanted it to end. I had stopped caring, I'd broken a piece of glass out of my window, and I'd run the glass across my wrist a few times. Obviously, I didn't get deep enough, and then… then Bryan came in. I'd never seen him so mad, and believe me, he's normally furious." She smiled weakly, and Scarlet rolled her eyes with a 'tell me about it' look. "And well, he stopped me, of course, and…" she shook slightly, and Scarlet signaled she didn't have to continue. "How's Kai?" Alicia asked after a minute.

Scarlet blanched. "I… I don't know…" For the first time in nine years, she had no idea what Kai was thinking, wondering whether or not she'd kiss and kill him. But he was only a friend to her.

_You have never felt love? _Dranzer's voice was clearer than it had been in ages, but Scarlet took a few minutes to answer.

_No Dranzer. You have?_

_Yes. _Dranzer replied, but didn't seem to want to say anything more. But for Scarlet, it clicked. A flash of gold, a burst of flame, a hint of white, an ancient battlefield, a huge roar. Two lovers pitted against each other in battle.

"Was that what…?" She seemed unaware that she'd spoken aloud. She knew Dranzer's love. And she knew why Driger had been so nice to her. Alicia passed a hand in front of her face, and she started.

"Lights out," she muttered, "Do you know where you're sleeping? I've only got the one cot…"

"I'll sleep on the floor," Scarlet replied, "It'll be fine." _Dranzer, wolf form please._

_Yes, of course. _Dranzer replied, and Scarlet was a wolf. She curled up on the floor, right in front of the doorway, and slept. Alicia however, tossed and turned for hours before she got to sleep. When she did, her dreams were filled with confusion and fear. She didn't know it at the time, but the dreams belonged to Dranzer. And they had haunted her brother since he stole the blade and ran away from the abbey. They would come to her until she released Dranzer completely, (which she couldn't) or gave her a new master.

With Brooklyn

In Russia, Brooklyn was sitting on his bed, staring at Zeus. Yesterday had been a normal day, watching the others practice, and skipping practice himself. Oh, and he'd bought some earplugs for when Ming-Ming and the rest of the band were rehearsing. He'd finally found a pair that blocked them out completely, thankfully. He wondered where that one girl was, the one who'd vanished outside of the hotel he was still stuck in. Scarlet, that was her name. _You shouldn't trust her. _Zeus cautioned, _Dranzer is a strange one._

"Do you know about that amulet Mystel has?" Brooklyn asked him.

_That thing? It looks like some old charm. _Zeus replied. Brooklyn stood up and walked over to the door.

"Why is Dranzer's human form called Scarlet?" He asked the bit-beast.

_Hmph! That shows how much you know, _Zeus grumbled. _You've never heard Dranzer, never seen her true human form, have you? That girl is her vessel. Boris forced them together. _Brooklyn unconsciously clenched his fists at Boris's name. _The same way we were. _Brooklyn sighed. His days with Bega weren't the best he could remember, but they weren't the worst either. Actually, they probably were the best. God, that was depressing.

And back to Scarlet…

Scarlet woke up a few hours later, and asked Dranzer for her human form back. Dranzer willingly obliged, and the girl sat up and stretched. She stood, picked the lock open, and left quietly, leaving Alicia to a now peaceful sleep. Silently, she walked up the corridor, sticking to the shadows. She didn't know where she was going, not really, but her eyes picked up tiny landmarks she'd made for herself when she had lived there. It seemed she was headed for the training arena, the kitchens, or the lab. (Her choice) She hoped she'd get lucky and find the kitchen deserted. Alicia was bone-thin, and Scarlet wasn't going to let her new mistress starve. _New mistress… _She thought glumly. _They planned it to be like that. _By 'them' she meant Boris and Voltaire. She found herself at the kitchen door, and tried the knob. It was locked, of course, but she just picked the lock and let herself in. She opened one of the freezers, and helped herself to a small feast, her ripcord/whip turning into a basket. When it was full, she went back to Alicia's room, and went back to sleep. She never did realize she left the kitchen door unlocked…

…Until the next morning. Both girls woke up with a start when someone began pounding on the door, and Scarlet shoved the basket of food under Alicia's bed. "Can either of you cook?" Scarlet and Alicia both recognized the voice.

She rolled her eyes and called back, "What happened to the cook? You know, the one who gets _paid _to cook?" She glanced at Scarlet and mouthed, 'hide'.

"Fired," the voice called, "Left the kitchen unlocked last night. Now come on, get out of there!" Scarlet switched into her wolf form and bared her teeth.

_Dranzer and I don't hide. I fight, Dranzer strategizes. And no one threatens our mistress. _She flicked her gaze between the door and Alicia. _I'll knock him down, be ready to run. We're getting out of here, and now. Who knows what Voltaire's got planned for me? _Alicia nodded, and walked over to the door, wondering why Scarlet was so keen to be gone. _The memories, _Scarlet thought. _The memories… Tala leaving, Kai abandoning me… I never knew you, I don't know why. _Alicia opened the door, and Scarlet lunged-straight into Kai. _What the hell?_

"Scarlet, what the hell?" Kai yelled, "Get off of me!"

"Ooh, Kai, that sounds so dirty," she replied, stepping away from him and switching back to her human form. "And how did you get here?"

"Well," he said, "Where did you go? I've lost complete connection with Dranzer, and yet, I can tell she's still inside of you." Scarlet flipped over her wrist and showed him Alicia's initials branded there.

"_This_ happened. I had no choice." I tiny flame sparked to life in both of her eyes. She blinked, and it was extinguished, but there was no doubt about what had just happened. Dranzer had taken over, even for the briefest moment.

Alicia walked over to Scarlet. "She's right Kai, that sounded _so _wrong, especially since you're at your sisters room, and…" she glanced over at Scarlet.

"No one knows I'm back, you idiot!" She slapped him, "And no one will know I was here. I'm leaving. And I will do what you never would. Oh, and I was actually right about the face paint, that's just weird." She breezed past him, Alicia following her with an apologetic look at Kai. He grabbed her shoulders, and spun her around to face him. The blue triangles on the left side of his face were smudged.

"Do not let her get too far into control," Kai warned her, "Scarlet is housing Dranzer's dark half, and though Scarlet wouldn't, Black Dranzer will kill you if you are not in control. Don't worry about insulting her. And address her as Dranzer when giving an order."

"Yes _sir._" Alicia said, "And I suppose you've found all this out in the years you've been ignoring my very _existence!_" She shoved past him and followed Scarlet. She didn't look back.

AN: Well… somehow this will backfire… and… well, you get the point. So please review! And thanks again to my reviewers so far!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Disclaimer: Have I not already made this clear? I don't own! I never will! Oh well, it's fun finding new ways to convince you all.

When Alicia caught up with Scarlet, she was back in her human form. Her long black hair was shot through with streaks of acid green, and her irises were completely black. Black Dranzer had taken over. "Keep up," she said, "We must get out of here quickly."

_I will allow you to leave the abbey without being stopped. _Boris's words flashed across Alicia's mind, and she realized he was keeping his other half of the deal. Amazed, she continued to follow who she thought was Scarlet. As they walked out of the abbey, she switched back into her wolf form, except it wasn't hers. Dranzer's wolf form was well groomed, thin and sleek, with flashing eyes that were full of intelligence, the same as Scarlet's. But this wolf had clumped, matted, dull fur. Its teeth were yellowed, and its eyes were filled only with hate. It had a much stronger, thicker build than the other, and seemed much less graceful. But it quickly became apparent that it wasn't.

_Hurry, hurry now and come. _Dark Dranzer thought to Alicia, _We have much ground to cover. Not much time… _Alicia was wondering what she meant by this when the wolf took off, ramming straight into the doors. It snarled savagely, and tore at them, but they didn't yield. _How do they open? _

"There's a bolt, further up a bit." Alicia tried to find it, to point it out, but it was gone. In its place was a heavy padlock, and who would have the key?

"You know, only Boris said he wouldn't stop you," Kai muttered, walking towards them. Scarlet, halfway through a leap, rebounded off the door and lunged at Kai. "Dranzer, stop!" he said, and the wolf froze in midair, a golden glow surrounding her. He arched his eyebrows. "Alicia, you have gained control of one of the most powerful bit-beasts on the face of the earth. You must learn to control it."

"Kai, what do you mean?" Alicia asked, "You're still in control of Dranzer." She stared up at the frozen wolf.

"You control Dranzer's darker half. It guess it was only her dark half that was branded to you," Kai explained, "And I'd like it if you would come with me." Alicia flinched backwards, but Kai continued to walk towards the door. "Dranzer, come." A small phoenix (Dranzer's preferred form for herself) flew over to him, and Scarlet unfroze. Snarling, she plummeted towards the ground. Alicia heard something crack, and the wolf yelped and turned back into Scarlet, who had been able to regain control over Dark Dranzer when they were frozen. She looked at her wrist and sighed.

"It's broken," she muttered, "So I'm useless until I can get it set. Alicia, why did you not ask Dark Dranzer to step down? It would have only taken a quick command from you, and we would be headed down one of the secret passages, on our way out of here."

Alicia looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she said, "I don't know what- I wasn't paying attention."

"Have all these years at the abbey taught you nothing?" Kai asked harshly, but Scarlet cut in.

"It's not her fault Kai. I was weak." Her tones were soft and clipped, more her own somehow. "We should get going now… you should…" Her eyes were glazing over; her wrist was causing her a lot of pain.

"No," Kai said, "I think we should wait about thirty seconds until Tala deactivates the alarms on the door."

"What?" Scarlet asked, "Tala's coming too?" Her eyes sparkled slightly, until she accidently jerked her wrist and gasped in pain. Gritting her teeth, she saw Kai nodding.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Normally it would be our mistress's intentions as to whether or not I am well," she said quietly, "But I thank you for your concern." Tala walked down, and Scarlet gave him a weak smile. "Shall we leave?" She asked, and one of her eyes turned black. "Don't worry, I'm fine," she assured, "If they're both black, you need to worry."

"Yes, I think we should," Tala replied, "Before the power comes back on." Alicia stared at him in disbelief.

"You cut the _entire grid? _That fast?" She asked. Tala shrugged, like it wasn't any big deal.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kai asked, "The welcoming committee?"

"Oh shut up," Scarlet snipped, "I wouldn't have ever guessed you were sarcastic." _I don't know what we're doing. Where'd Tala even come from?_

_You seem quite at ease with such ill company, _Dark Dranzer commented, _I think you should reconsider your options. _

_Shut up. _Scarlet thought, _If you're going to do anything, fix my wrist. _Instantly, a burning pain shot up her arm, and she felt the bones in her wrist liquefy. She gasped in pain, but the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come, and she rotated her hand gently, wincing as the bones clicked into place. "Well, that's handy," she commented.

_I may not be 'lightness' as you humans call it, but I am loyal. _Dark Dranzer commented.

"We need to leave," Kai said, "Now, before they-" he stopped, turned and walked away, the phoenix disappearing in a flash of gold. Scarlet switched to her wolf form, and ran after him. Tala and Alicia walked after them at a more leisurely pace.

_What's the point of hurrying? _Alicia thought, _No one's coming after us. _

_Best leave Kai alone when he's like this, _Tala thought, _But I should keep an eye on him. Scarlet deserves someone… well; I'll just go with not him right now. _

_A bit protective, are we, Master Tala? _Wolborg commented. Even though he and Tala fought almost constantly, they still had the bond of master and bit-beast.

_Why shouldn't I be? _Tala asked, continuing to walk beside Alicia, _Kai's arrogant, cold, thinks he's superior to everyone… why did I ever think we were friends? _

_Because, I suppose you were. _One thing Tala hated about Wolborg. He was blunt and straightforward, and spoke his mind constantly. _And you haven't thought about him and Alicia. _

_Wait, what? _Tala thought, _What do you mean?_

_Alicia is Kai's sister. I thought you knew her before I came, and as you put it 'ruined your life'. _His tones were bitter.Tala continued walking, passing through the doors, not noticing where he was going, until Alicia put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked, "You don't look very well… sorta pale." Tala smiled.

"I'm always pale," he said, "You know we don't get outside much at the abbey." Alicia smiled sadly and nodded, remembering a few punishments for being caught outside. Mainly she'd go and sing-

_My guitar-! I forgot my guitar…_ she shook her head. _I'll worry about that later. For now… I'm free! _She had to stop herself from skipping, trying to act mature in the presence of two renowned bladers and her bit-beast. (Who seemed to almost command respect in the way she walked, spoke, forced herself to keep going no matter what happened…) _I swear, you could shoot her and she'd get back up for more. _She laughed at the silliness of her thought. No way could anyone get up after being shot. At least, no one she knew. They would, at the very least, be unconscious from the pain, if not dead or dying. She glanced sideways at Tala, wondering about him. _Isis, are you still there? _She thought quietly, hoping her hummingbird bit-beast was still with her.

_Of course I am. _Isis replied, _Do you honestly think some idiotic phoenix could split_ _us apart?_

_I suppose not… I'm glad you're still here. _Kai and Scarlet were still ahead of them, Scarlet occasionally bounding after a squirrel that was stupid enough to be on the ground. No one else seemed to be around, which was strange, but no one really cared. It was nice, not having to hide from everyone they met. "Scarlet?" She called, "Come here, would you?" The wolf spun around and ran over to her and Tala, and turned back into Scarlet.

"Yes?" She said, "What is it?" Her eyes glittered with happiness, but she limped on her left leg.

"Why are you limping?" Alicia asked, "Did you get hurt?"

Scarlet smiled. "I've always had a limp. Everyone has to have some sort of imperfection, mine's just more noticeable."

"Oh…" Alicia said, "And, I'm wondering why we haven't seen anyone. Isn't that strange?" Scarlet shook her head.

"It smells like a storm's brewing," she said, "And a pretty bad one. Aren't you cold at all?" Alicia was about to say 'This is Russia, it's always cold,' when a gust of wind hit her. It felt like a wall of ice, and she shivered. "Exactly," Scarlet said, "We need to find somewhere to stay for the night, but so far I haven't seen a thing. Not even a ditch." She turned back into a wolf, and ran off, streaking ahead of Kai, until she was just a black spot that kept getting smaller. The first snowflakes started falling, but no one stopped, or even slowed down. They had to find somewhere out of the wind, and fast. After about fifteen minutes, Alicia's feet were numb with cold, and her hands weren't much better. After half an hour, Kai stopped and stood where he was, waiting for her and Tala.

"We can't keep going like this," he said, "Alicia, can you call Scarlet back?" Alicia nodded.

"D-dark Dran-Dranzer, c-c-come back," she chattered. Almost instantly, a black spot appeared on the horizon. It took about a minute for Scarlet to get back to them. When she got there, her fur was steaming, and her tongue was lolling four inches from her mouth.

"What is it?" She asked, turning back into herself, "You look horrible, come on." She limped off, leaving Alicia, Tala, and Kai to follow her, which they did. Alicia stumbled, and Tala grabbed her shoulder to stop her from falling. "It's not a very good spot to stop, but it's got some cover, and I can get rid of the snow," Scarlet called over her shoulder, "And probably find something to eat, if none of you are vegetarians." Alicia smiled, though she wasn't sure why. Meanwhile, Isis was cursing about 'The stupid halver; thinks she knows everything…'

_What do you mean, Isis? _Alicia asked. _What's a halver?_

_A halver is the name for a created bit-beast. Some of them aren't nearly as haughty as this one, like Falborg, but I don't like this Scarlet. _

_You don't even know her, Isis. _Alicia said, _You have to give her a chance. _Isis retreated from Alicia's thoughts, and she continued trudging forward. It was five more minutes until they came to the spot Scarlet had told them about, and Scarlet had been absolutely right when she said it wasn't a very good spot to stop. There was a cliff face, and about twenty feet up it, they could just make out a cave entrance.

"You're kidding us, right?" Tala asked, "There's no way I can climb right now."

"Same here," Alicia said, "I can barely feel my hands." Scarlet picked one of them up, and rubbed it.

"Thank God it's not frostbite," she said, "I'll build a small fire here, but as soon as you've all warmed up, we have to either keep going, or climb this." She looked up at the cave. _Dranzer, help me… I don't know what to do._

_Scarlet, you have to trust in yourself. _Dranzer answered,_ I'm sorry about your limp, but this time around, I can't do anything. Boris put my dark half too far into control. I can get a fire going for you, if you wish. _

"Yes," Scarlet whispered, "That would be nice…" The cold didn't bite into her as badly as the others, but she was still shivering.

_This will only work for a bit, so move fast. _Dranzer warned. _Hold out your right hand, with the palm up. _Scarlet did so, and a fireball blazed to life, startling her so badly she flipped her hand over. _Don't worry, _Dranzer assured, _It won't burn you. Shall I try again?_

_Sure. _Scarlet thought, and another fireball appeared in her hand. _Now what? _

_Well, we can't start a fire without a clear space… _Dranzer said. _Or you could just set that tree on fire. _Scarlet smiled, and looked at the tree carefully. It was small, and obviously dead, and it was standing by itself.

"That'll be perfect," she muttered, and threw the fireball towards the tree. There must've been some magic in the fire, because the tree caught fire instantly. It stayed at a perfect blaze, never flickering, never sparking. It didn't even give off any smoke.

"Like witches fire…" Alicia muttered, "No smoke."

"It's handy if you don't want to be found," Scarlet replied, switching back into her wolf form and digging into the snow. With Dranzer helping her, she managed to clear out a nice sized space for three. _I'm digging a scrape in the snow,_ she explained to Alicia, _I hope you don't mind. _Something inside of Isis snapped at those words. A girl, maybe sixteen, wearing brightly polished silver armor and a bow and quiver slung across her back appeared between Alicia and Scarlet. She had long, sweeping pale blonde hair, and crystalline blue eyes, which glittered with hatred. She held the helmet of her armor under one arm, and her skin was tanned like Alicia's.

"Watch yourself _Dranzer,_" she spat, "She is my mistress."

_Scarlet, _Dranzer said, _I would like you to meet Isis, my sister._

_Your sister? _Scarlet asked. _Is she a phoenix too?_

_No, she is a hummingbird, _Dranzer thought, _But you may want to know that she hates me quite a bit. _

_Great, _Scarlet thought, _I'll take my human form back now. _She switched back, and stood impassively before the other bit-beast. "I am known as Scarlet now," she said simply. That one sentence had quite a bit more consequence than Scarlet anticipated. Isis grabbed her bow and knocked an arrow to the bowstring.

"Goodbye Dranzer," she said, her crystalline blue eyes glittering with malice. "Tell our brother hello for me, you traitorous halver."

Scarlet felt a burning pain in her throat, and suddenly, Dranzer began to speak through her. "How _dare _you…" she whispered, "What did you do to Janus?" Alicia, Tala, and Kai were awestruck by her voice. It was a beautiful, double toned voice, one half cruel and without mercy, the other tender and loving.

"Isis, stand down," Alicia said, "Be at peace. Isis!" Isis didn't listen. "Isis, freeze!" Alicia yelled, "Stop!" But Isis, apparently enjoying this, was standing there, her breathing quick and shallow, her arm straining to release the arrow.

"Please Alicia," she said, madness entering her voice, "Don't interfere. I do not want to hurt you… but if I must." The arrow was suddenly protruding from Scarlet's shoulder. "I hope that you will forgive me… sister." She said, then disappeared in a flash of silver light. When Alicia and Kai could see again, Tala was kneeling next to Scarlet, who was still breathing, if barely. Blood was turning the snow red.

Very slowly, Scarlet reached up and traced her hand in a figure eight in the air. Her familiar scarlet scarf appeared, and fell over her. _Stop the bleeding. Break off the shaft, pull out the arrowhead and stop the bleeding…_

AN: Okay, well, the plan definitely did backfire… please review! Even if you are just telling me you hate me for what I just did! (Because I'm sure you do)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Disclaimer: Hi! I'm here to tell you a secret. Pheo The Flame doesn't own Beyblade! I know, right? It's crazy!

* * *

"I think she'll be okay… I think." Alicia's words were the first Scarlet heard, but she didn't open her eyes. She couldn't; she was much too weak from loss of blood. In fact, she was still bleeding.

"Do you think the arrow was poisoned?" That was Tala; Scarlet would recognize his voice anywhere. "Or enchanted?" Scarlet twitched her head, pain exploding in her skull. She gasped in pain, and her eyes shot open.

"Where are we?" She asked, closing her eyes again. It was bright, abnormally bright for a snowy evening. Unless… "How long have I been out?" She asked.

Alicia answered quietly. "About… maybe ten hours? The storm's passed over, so we had to find somewhere else to stay, where no one would see us, and Wolborg offered to take us up to the cave… so, yeah." Scarlet tried to open her eyes again, but could make out no more than silhouettes. Two of them.

"Where's Kai?" She asked, sitting up despite the throbbing pain in her shoulder. She looked at it, and saw that it was still oozing blood, but was wrapped in her scarf.

"I don't know," Tala answered, "He said he had to be somewhere."

"Asia," Scarlet said, amazed, "I'd totally forgot! The rest of the Bladebreakers are there." Tala nodded.

"That makes sense. We should probably get going too… but if you're not up to it, we can wait." Scarlet shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she said, "But I won't be going anywhere for a while. There was something wrong with that arrow. Not poison, exactly, but… Alicia, how long have you had Isis?"

Alicia looked out towards the cave entrance. "I've had her for years… ever since I can remember. She's always been a part of me, until last night. She's never disobeyed an order, or even a request." Scarlet saw a tear drop from her eye.

_Dranzer, please tell me what happened, _she thought. Instantly, her throat burned, and Dranzer began to speak.

"When I was born," she said, "When the world dawned, I had two siblings. My brother Janus, the seer, and my sister Isis, the warrior. I was the sun, forever condemned to circle the earth, always at the opposite side of the earth from Driger, who used to be the moon. We were opposites, yes, but we loved each other. But you see, Isis loved Driger too. And she could find him wherever he went, while I could only see him for a little while every day, when the moon and the sun were both at opposite horizons. But my brother, Janus, foretold that Isis and Driger would never be, and Isis, in her sorrow, convinced herself that if she could get rid of Janus…" she stopped suddenly, as if recalling something painful. "It happened at night. Driger saw, but he didn't- he didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. Isis had Janus fly into the air with a flaming target… so that she could see it, I suppose she said. But she wanted to see him." Dranzer's voice became hard. "He was the target. He fell to the ground with an arrow through his neck. And Driger… ran the nights so fast trying to get to me, to tell me, that he broke our curse, and for the first time I flew in the sky without the sun."

"Wait," Tala interrupted, "What kind of bird was Janus?" Dranzer fixed him with Scarlet's stare.

"Janus," Dranzer answered slowly, "Janus was a wolf. Do you never wonder why a phoenix could turn into one? I am honoring my brother. But as I was saying, when I found Driger, he'd run so hard his paws were bleeding. He told me about Janus, and I swore…" she closed her eyes. "I swore that I would kill Isis. I swore that I would kill her for what she had done. And now, even now, I am held to that promise by an honor that is no longer known to humans. But Isis has sworn to kill me. And one day, our paths will meet." She opened her eyes, and they were silver, completely silver, without pupils or whites. "One day, but not soon. Because if I die, so does the sun. And although you wouldn't think it, at least, Isis hasn't, if the sun dies, the moon does too." Scarlet's throat burned again, and she regained control of her voice, and her eyes switched back to one black, the other silver. She had heard Dranzer's tale, and felt, however slightly, a spark, deep inside of the phoenix, the spark that still tied it to the sun.

"Alicia," Scarlet said, "Something Dranzer told me, a long time ago… bit-beasts can disobey a direct order if, and only if, a promise holds them to something else. It wasn't your fault, but Isis's decision." Not sure if she was making things worse, Scarlet stopped talking.

"I-" Alicia stopped suddenly. "Get back, both of you." She darted, crouched over, to the back of the cave. Tala followed, Scarlet refusing his help and following at her own pace, only a bit slower.

"Alicia," Tala said, "What is this about?"

"Someone's coming," Alicia replied, "Someone from the abbey."

_Dranzer, I need your wolf form, _she thought to the phoenix.

_That isn't a wise decision, _Dranzer replied. _Not in your weakened state. _

_I don't care! There's no time for worry. _It hurt more than it usually did, but Dranzer turned Scarlet into the familiar black wolf. Scarlet ripped her scarf off of her shoulder, then carried it to the edge of the cave.

"What are you doing?" Alicia asked, "Someone's bound to see that!" Strangely, the cave didn't narrow as it went back, so she and Tala had sat down again.

_That's what I want. _Scarlet thought. She nodded her head when she realized the girl hadn't heard her. Isis must have reversed the brand, and she wasn't surprised.

"Are you crazy?" Tala asked. This time Scarlet shook her head.

_What were the odds? _She thought, _I didn't know Brooklyn was from the abbey! _

_He's not. _Dranzer said, _Boris trained him and the rest of his team. They're his back-up plan._

Scarlet growled, and then dropped the scarf so that it fluttered outside of the cave entrance, and put a paw on it so it didn't blow away completely. Snow blanketed the ground like a great silver-white blanket, glittering like millions of diamonds. The tree that had been burning was now just a blackened stump. She parted her lips in a wolfish smile. _Should I get his attention? _She asked.

_Sure, _Dranzer said. _I suppose you _want _to be dragged back to the abbey._

_He wouldn't do that, _Scarlet thought, and then howled. Brooklyn looked up, but Scarlet jumped before he could do anything else. She landed hard on her bad foot, and jarred her wounded shoulder, but from twenty feet up, it was still pretty impressive. _Alright, I'll take my human form back now._

Dranzer did as she asked, and Brooklyn looked shocked. Scarlet rotated her shoulder, trying to loosen it, and said the first thing that came to her mind. "Why are you here?" She was hoping to catch him off guard, but she failed.

"Another tournament," he replied, "I thought you told me you were following them?" Scarlet shook her head.

"I'm stuck in a cave with an arrow wound," she said, "Does it look like I'm in any shape to be traveling?" She rolled her eyes like he was an idiot. Brooklyn shrugged.

"I thought your could turn into a falcon," he said, "Yet you were just a wolf."

_Oh damn… _Scarlet thought. _What do I say to that?_

_Scarlet, _Dranzer warned. _You need to run. I'm going to turn you into a wolf, because your hawk form won't work with a bad shoulder. Get back up to the cave._

_How? _Scarlet asked. _Why do you want me to run?_

_From the abbey, _Dranzer replied. _There's someone from the abbey nearby, and I can't tell who. Run as soon as you've got four feet._ Instantly, Scarlet took on the familiar and favored form of a wolf, and took off. She howled a goodbye, but it sounded more threatening than 'I hope I'll see you soon'. She took a huge leap, and scrambled up the cliff face (Which luckily was rocky with plenty of small outcroppings) and once again grabbed the scarf between her teeth and dashed further into the cave.

"She's the one we're looking for," Bryan said, appearing from nowhere. "But Dranzer isn't an easy catch…" he trailed off, looking back up to the cave where the wolf had vanished. He had his own reasons for wanting to catch her, as did Falborg. Alicia and Isis, the girl and her bit-beast.

_Master, _Falborg said, _Dranzer will fight us to the death if we can't subdue her. Let me free for a bit. She won't know what hit her._

"No Falborg," Bryan muttered. As much as he was tempted, he and Brooklyn had a plan. Of sorts. "We must wait."

"I swear," Brooklyn said, "It sounds like you're talking to yourself."

"Falborg's being impatient," Bryan replied, then winced as a bitter cold blast of air hit him. Brooklyn, however, shivered violently and turned to leave. "Where're you going?" Bryan said angrily.

"Somewhere the temperature is above zero," Brooklyn snapped back, "I hate the cold." It took all the self control Bryan had to not just kill him then and there.

_The plan Bryan, _Falborg said. _Your so-called plan, remember? _

_Of course, _Bryan thought back. _And it _will _work. _

In Asia

Kai couldn't speak with Dranzer, though it wasn't that he hadn't tried. In fact, he had still been trying to speak to her when he found the hotel the team was staying at this time. _Why is it always a hotel? _He wondered. _Even in our home cities, we stay somewhere unfamiliar. _He was walking up to his room now, remembering the insanely fast journey here. It hadn't seemed fast; he'd just called Dranzer and asked her to take him back to Asia, remembering what Bryan had said to him. He walked up the stairs, forgetting about the elevator. Scarlet would have taken the stairs, she was paranoid that way. That made him smile a bit, hoping she was safe. The arrow wound hadn't looked too serious, so he had left. _What if it was poisoned though? _He asked himself, unlocking his room. He stepped in and walked over to his bed, then flopped down on his back. _There's no time to worry about that Kai, focus! _The first battle of the tournament was tomorrow, and the team was probably out practicing. _I should join them. _He got up and left, grabbing Dranzer even though he knew the blade wasn't nearly as powerful without his bit-beast.

In Russia

"Scarlet, what were you thinking?" Tala asked furiously. "You could have been captured!"

"I knew what I was doing," Scarlet answered, rewrapping her shoulder. She'd let the scarf sit in the snow for a few minutes to clean as best as she could, and then set it just inside the cave to dry. "Besides, with Dranzer helping me, there's no way he could've caught me."

"But you don't know that!" Tala hissed. "I know for a fact that Voltaire's been working on fusing bladers with their bit-beasts! That's why I'm here right now, with you and Alicia!"

Scarlet's eyes blazed. "That's _it,_" she snarled. "That abbey will be destroyed, and I will personally see to putting a sword through Boris's ribs." Alicia and Tala instinctively moved away from her.

"Scarlet," Alicia said, "You aren't well enough to travel yet. I think we should see if this cave here has a back entrance, and leave that way." Scarlet's eyes softened a bit, and she shook her head.

"No Alicia," she said, "I've been here before. It's a straight drop off a few hundred feet back." Tala looked at her.

"You've never been here," he said, "You couldn't have come here…"

"This was the last spot we stopped Tala," Scarlet said, "Where you…" she trailed off.

"What?" He asked. _Why do I not remember? _

"It's nothing," Scarlet said, "But when we were trying to live on our own, when Kai found us, we stayed here… and there was the cave in…"

_I was pure back then. _Wolborg said, _I was your protector. _Flashes of memories went past Tala's eyes. There were rocks collapsing; darkness, with the tiniest hint of sunlight; a wolf, clawing away at the rocks. He put his head back against the cool, rough stone, and sighed.

"I remember," he said, "Sort of." Alicia was feeling uncomfortable, she felt like she had no place in this conversation. She noticed that Tala's hair was falling out of the twin spikes it was normally set in, and it was falling just past his shoulders. (AN: I'm not actually sure how long Tala's hair is, only how tall. *Laughs quietly to self*) It looked strange, but not bad.

_Alicia! _Isis snapped, _Focus, and we can escape! _

_What do you mean, escape? _Alicia thought back, _I'm not going back to the abbey! _

_But there it is safe. _Isis said slyly. _Have you thought of what you can eat here? Where you will stay when another storm comes? And you know you're being hunted… every moment you're out here puts you and Tala in danger… and Scarlet is leading you into it. _

_Isis, speak your mind. _Alicia thought, _I want to know what you're thinking about!_

_I think that you should go back. _Isis said, _I think you should forget about Tala and Scarlet. And I think you should release me. _Isis's voice had a new layer to it. A beautiful, hypnotizing new layer that made Alicia want to do whatever the bit-beast said.

_Let me ask Scarlet first… _she ventured. _Maybe she's planned for something like that._

_No! _Isis said, adding another hypnotic layer to her voice. _Dranzer never plans ahead. You should sneak out tonight, when no one would expect. I can turn you into a bird, and we can fly back together._

_I don't know… _Alicia's thoughts were muddled now. Isis was slowly hypnotizing her, as Scarlet and Tala discussed the cave.

_But I do. _Isis answered. Her voice was so mesmerizing now she could stop a bull elephant in mid-charge. _Take first watch tonight. When they are both asleep, we'll leave. _

Alicia couldn't fight it anymore. _Al- alright. _She thought, _But for now, let me rest. _She closed her eyes, and even though she didn't feel a bit tired, she was asleep in five minutes.

* * *

AN: I'm so sorry this was so short, but I had writers block and then a social studies project and a book report due, and then I couldn't get to the computer… I'm so sorry! Please, please, please review! (Also, I finally learned how to put lines into my document! Yay!) (Yes, I am a bit slow sometimes.)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Disclaimer: Okay… I was going to give a long speech about something, and I forgot what about, and now I'm just going to say that I don't own, I never will, I don't want to (Actually, that's a lie) and most importantly, if I did own (which I don't) the show would probably have a ton of romance in it, and it would really suck.

AN: Wow… "Scarlet" is in the double digits! Thanks again to my wonderful reviewers, and all of you who are following this story silently!

When Alicia woke up, the sun was setting again, and Scarlet was gone. _Do you see what I mean? _Isis asked, _Dranzer abandoned us at the first chance. Think of what might have happened if it had been just the two of you._

Just then, a hawk flew in, with a rabbit clutched in its talons. The poor thing was still kicking feebly, and the hawk set it down and drove its beak into the rabbit's neck. Alicia and Tala both heard the spine snap.

"Come on Scarlet," Tala said, "That's disgusting. Couldn't you kill it outside?" The hawk turned back into Scarlet, who was grinning.

"This isn't for you," she said, "I thought Wolborg might like a treat. If you'd let him out, that is."

_Wolborg, _Tala thought. _Of course she'd bring something for a bit-beast before she takes care of us. _

_Please master? _Wolborg thought, _I'll behave! _Tala couldn't help but smiling at that.

"Alright, I release you, Wolborg." The wolf appeared in a shimmer of gray light, the spikes of ice that sprouted from his shoulders when he was in his spirit form reduced to white spots on his shoulders. He tore into the rabbit eagerly when Scarlet tossed it to him.

"I didn't think you two would like raw meat," Scarlet explained, "And Wolborg, remember who caught that for you." The wolf tore a leg off the rabbit and dropped it by Scarlet's leg.

Alicia made a face. "You aren't really going to eat that, are you?" She asked. Scarlet drew her ripcord out of her pocket, and it changed into a knife. She began skinning the leg, the fur and skin coming off of the meat like she was peeling an apple.

"I've developed a tolerance to raw meat," she answered, "Or it could just be Dranzer, but there was one time, she released herself from me, temporarily, and snuck me out of the abbey. First time I'd killed. She changed me into a hawk and taught me how to hunt, almost as if she knew this would happen." She looked at Alicia and Tala and the still disgusted looks on their faces, tossed the leg backwards at Wolborg, who caught it before it hit the ground, and said, "What would you guys like though? You must forgive me for attending to Wolborg first, even though he doesn't really need food to sustain him, but Alicia, you were asleep, and Tala… you looked like you were sorta in a trance, like when you were thinking about something and would snap at me if I interrupted," She smiled faintly, her eyes glimmering in the dying light. "There's a town not too far from here, I can go shopping for us… well, I can get us some food, I wouldn't really call it _shopping_… maybe shop_lifting _would be the better word." Wolborg, finished with the rabbit, padded gently over to her and whined. She laughed.

"Can you understand him?" Tala asked.

"A bit," Scarlet admitted, "He wants to know if he can go hunting," then, as if exasperated, she turned to the wolf. "Wolborg, I know you have a human form, use it please!" The wolf uttered a short bark, almost like a laugh, then shifted into the form of a boy.

He looked about fifteen, with light gray hair that was loosely spiked and looked like it was covered in frost, skin that looked like it had been tan at one point but had begun to lose its color, and extremely light blue eyes. He was dressed in gray, a bit darker then his hair, and when he smiled at Scarlet, his grin was wolfish and his teeth had blood on them, which he rubbed off with his tongue. "How's that?" He asked, "Any better?" Scarlet smiled.

"Much," she replied, "Now keep an eye on these three while I go… _shopping._" She laughed, and turned into a hawk; then flew off.

"How did her shoulder heal so quickly?" Alicia asked.

"Dranzer has always been a fast healer," Wolborg replied, "She and I were friends when I was still known as Fenris, though never as close as her and Driger." He stood, and the cave's ceiling seemed to rise to allow him to stand fully. He walked over to the cave's mouth, and sat down cross legged, staring out at the snow covered landscape. "And you must forgive me, but I only see two of you."

"I suppose she was talking about me," a soft voice said, and Wolborg tensed. Isis had appeared.

"Isis, I was one who was against you. I would put my knives through your worthless heart if I hadn't given my word to Dranzer that it would be her who killed you." Despite his words, Alicia and Tala both saw a knife in his hands, easily a foot long and made of frosted silver. Engraved on it was something that Tala and Alicia couldn't make out. Isis, however, hissed from deep in her throat, a noise no normal human should be able to make.

"Get that out of my sight!" She snarled, her blue eyes, a few shades darker than Wolborg's, glittering with hatred and…

_Is that fear? _Alicia thought, amazed. In all the years she had known her, she had never known Isis to be afraid of anyone or anything. But she seemed terrified of that knife.

"Then leave," Wolborg snarled, his canines lengthening and his lips drawing back into a feral snarl.

"I will," Isis snapped, "Come Alicia." She stood, and Alicia felt herself rise.

"What are you doing?" Tala asked, "Alicia, what are you doing?" Isis drew a sword from thin air, and brandished it against Wolborg's knife.

"We are leaving," Isis stated flatly, "And if you try to stop us, I will personally see to sticking that precious knife of yours between your eyes."

"I'd like to see you try it!" Wolborg snarled, "Tala, go as far back from here as you can, don't come back, no matter what you hear."

"Alicia," Isis said, "I'm going to give you a hawk's form, fly outside and hide." And in Alicia's place, stood a tawny feathered hawk. The hawk hopped over to the mouth of the cave and spread its wings, then took off.

Wolborg returned to his wolf form, while Isis seemed to melt away. She reappeared a second later though, in the form of a leopard, sleek and beautiful and thin, and twice Wolborg's size. The wolf crouched against the cave wall, showing off sharp teeth. The leopard lunged at him, and he simply stepped under the big cat, causing it to crash against the stone. With her face bleeding, Isis whirled around and lunged at Wolborg again. This time the wolf met her attack with his teeth, tearing a gash in her shoulder. But Isis shook him off, throwing him outside. He landed on the snow and she lunged after him, blood flowing from her face and shoulder. The wolf didn't even move when 110 pounds of muscle, fur and blind fury tore his shoulder open to the bone and lunged away, leaving Wolborg to bleed in the snow. But Isis wasn't done, not by a long shot. She switched back to her human form.

"Come, come now," she said, "The great warrior Fenris can't be defeated that easily. I wanted a challenge." She pouted, but pulled her sword again from the air. "Oh well. I can't believe you could protect anything, foolish Fenris." Her sword changed into Wolborg's frosted silver knife, and Isis knelt down in the snow. "Goodbye," she said brightly, turning the wolf's muzzle so that the point of the knife rested directly between his eyes. "I hope you don't mind that no one will mourn for you."

"Tala will mourn for me," Wolborg's wolf form rasped. "But no one, not even Alicia, will lose sleep over your death." And heedless of the knife at his head, he lunged upward, straight at Isis's throat.

At the abbey

Boris looked up at the ginger haired blader, wondering why he was here. Bryan was probably around too, but with the new experiments, he would probably be even less approachable than usual.

"Sit," he said. Brooklyn stayed standing.

"Sir," he said, "I think Mystel may hold the key to freeing Scarlet."

"And your point?" Boris asked.

"Well sir," Brooklyn said, "I thought you had been looking for something of the sort."

"You may leave now," Boris said. Brooklyn decided it would probably be safest to do as he asked. He had a strange gleam in his eyes, or what looked like his eyes in that mask of his. He walked out of the door, Bryan falling into step beside him. True to Boris's thoughts, Bryan was unapproachable.

"Why do you care?" He snapped at Brooklyn as they walked back out of the abbey.

Brooklyn shook his head. "I don't know."

_You're an idiot, you know that? _Zeus asked. _A true idiot. _

_Shut up. _Brooklyn thought. _Who are you to say that to me?_

_I am practically a part of you! _Zeus yelled, making Brooklyn wince. Bryan glanced at him, but said nothing.

_ Falborg, I will let you hunt when we get outside. _He thought to the falcon. He could practically hear Falborg sharpening his talons with glee.

_It has been simply too long since we have spoken,_ he thought wickedly. _I wonder if she still has those twin swords. She will see just how effective my talons are though, now._ Bryan almost sighed, but caught himself. Falborg had the worst habit of talking to himself, which drove Bryan insane._ Oh how I will enjoy ripping that mortal of hers to shreds… of course, Isis might want that honor._ Bryan couldn't help smiling slightly at that. But it was a smile that was forced, because for a second, just a second, he remembered a small scarlet haired girl running after her brother, laughing for the sake of doing so.

"Brooklyn," he said, "Should we release him now?" They had just stepped outside, the cold biting their skin. Brooklyn, though he knew exactly what Bryan was talking about, nodded. In a flash of bright light that blinded them both, Falborg stood. For a moment he was an automaton hawk; then he became a boy who appeared to be vaguely human.

Falborg's human form, to say it simply, wasn't truly human. He looked like a human, again about fifteen, but unlike Wolborg, his left arm appeared to be made of metal, and the right side of his face wore a mask that seemed to mesh with the rest of his skin. His eyes were golden, they looked exactly like a hawks. Or maybe a falcons. He was dressed in black, and was wearing a golden sword across his back. His hair was bright silver, not frosty gray like Wolborg's or the gray of Kai's hair. He bowed his strange head respectfully.

"Shall I go, master?" When he looked up, Bryan saw his eyes were murderous.

"Yes," he replied. _Forget about Scarlet, _he told himself. _She isn't there anymore._ "Remember, only Isis and Alicia are to leave alive." Brooklyn almost said something, but stopped himself.

_She is only an experiment, _he told himself. _An experiment that has gotten out of control and must be stopped. _

_Exactly, _Zeus thought. _Exactly what I said before, you're an idiot._

"As you wish," Falborg said, and turned back into a hawk, then rose into the sky.

With Wolborg…

Wolborg lunged at Isis's throat, heedless of the knife at his eyes. But Isis leapt up, pulling the knife up with her. "No," she said, "No, no, no. That just won't do at all, will it? I can't die, you see," she sighed, as though saddened, "And I certainly don't feel like letting you kill yourself. I think you still have some fight left in you, _Fenris._" She turned back into a leopard and extended her claws. Wolborg tried to come to his feet, but his leg betrayed him. Isis lunged, and he changed into his human form, kicking her over him. He then got to his feet, blood running down his arm.

"I don't die that easily," he said, "But you can be killed, stupid hummingbird!" Isis switched back to her human form. With some satisfaction, Wolborg noticed that one of her arms was limp. His knife appeared in his good hand, and Isis pulled her sword out of the air. "How hard was it to kill a target that held still?" He asked furiously, "And what about _her?" _Wolborg had his own history with the hummingbird spirit. A history of death, nearly his own. "What about Tor?" He spat, "You remember her, I'm sure. She died so that I didn't have to give my own life for her!" He threw his knife, and it thudded into Isis's shoulder, her bad one. She screamed and wrenched it out of her shoulder, and threw it back at Wolborg. He caught it easily, to her apparent surprise.

"I remember Tor," Isis said, "She was the white she-wolf, correct? It took two days for her to die, and she was in such pain the whole time… shame." And Wolborg snapped.

Again the knife whistled through the air, and this time it missed Isis completely. "Don't you _ever _speak her name!" He spat at her, "You filthy, dirty," the knife flew back to his hand as he tried to find a word vile enough to describe her. But he was spared doing so when a hawk flew down from the sky.

It was Scarlet. She was back in her human form before she hit the ground, her ripcord becoming a huge sword in her hands. "Isis," she said, "I suggest you go wherever you planning to go, before I kill you." Her voice was low and dangerous, and even Wolborg stepped back.

"I suppose you are right," Isis admitted, "Come Alicia! Dranzer truly doesn't care about us!" A tawny hawk lifted out of a treetop some ways distant, and hovered expectantly. (Alicia didn't see what happened.) Isis turned into a hummingbird, swift and small and ruby-throated.

"You had better watch your back!" Scarlet screamed after her, "Or one day you will have a red throat! Red with your blood!" Then her sword vanished and she turned to Wolborg. "I asked you to watch them," she whispered. "Why didn't you…?" She never finished her sentence though, because just then, another hawk swooped down from the skies.

An automaton one.

AN: Well… I have nothing to say except R&R!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, no matter how many times I wish it was so. I don't even own the computer I type on, which is a shame.

The falcon (For it was a falcon, not a hawk as Scarlet had first assumed) didn't land, but flew straight for Wolborg's eyes. He ducked, barely, and grabbed his knife. Scarlet's ripcord had become a sword, about three feet long, and she parried the falcons hooked talons as it flew past. It landed, and Falborg switched to his human form.

"I see you decided that you'd become a slave!" Wolborg called, weak but still trying to protect Scarlet. "You were never strong," he continued, as Falborg turned to face him. His golden falcon eyes glittered with malice, and he drew his sword.

"Oh, I am not a slave Wolborg," he said, "I am stronger than I have ever been!" He leapt at Wolborg; his sword moving at impossible speeds. The wolf fell back, bleeding from the throat and chest, eyes closed. Scarlet thought she might have seen him breathing, but Falborg lunged at her next.

_Sorry Scarlet, _Dranzer thought. _This is personal. _And so, she took over Scarlet again. Her eyes became flat silver disks, and her movements became as fast as lightening, which is how she survived the first attack. "I hope you don't mind not fighting a mortal," she said, "But I thought it would be nice to warm up for the real challenge." But she had spoken too soon, because it quickly became apparent that Falborg was very powerful. Despite her lightening reflexes, Dranzer was bleeding from three wounds on her arms in a matter of minutes, and shaking, and all the time, Falborg's mad golden eyes bored into her. She couldn't fully transform into herself, because she would kill Scarlet and probably damage her body beyond repair. Not that the latter would matter if she were dead, but still…

"A weak one, eh?" Falborg sneered, "Look at who's weak now, chicken!"

"Don't even go there!" Dranzer yelled, "And watch your back." Because she had realized this would be a fight to the death if Falborg had his way. And she couldn't let that happen. Wolborg needed care, and who knew where Tala was? _This is out of my control… _She thought. Falborg feinted toward her head, and then slashed at her legs. Dranzer blocked the feint and jumped in the same second, leaping over Falborg's head and kicking him. He collapsed in the snow, and instantly, Dranzer's sword was at his throat.

"Or maybe you should watch your head. Now go," she whispered, "Before I kill you. And tell Bryan that Dranzer will not be killed yet, and not by _you." _She was standing over him, a foot on his chest. Then the toe of her shoe connected with his chin, and he went limp. She walked over to Wolborg, who was still breathing, but his breath was fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. The comparison made her feel sick, and she felt the strain she was putting on Scarlet's body becoming greater with each passing moment. "Where's Tala?" She said urgently.

"Cave…" Wolborg whispered. Dranzer marveled that he could hear her.

"Tala!" She yelled, "Tala, I need you!" She prayed he could hear her, and thankfully, he appeared less than a minute later. He saw Wolborg lying in the snow, and practically jumped off the cliff.

"What happened?" He gasped, his breath steaming in the cold.

"Look," Dranzer said, "I'm going to heal him, but then it's going to be up to you to protect us while Scarlet rests. I've put too much strain on her body." She nodded at a small overhang few hundred feet away. "Let's go over there, out of the snow." Together they managed to get Wolborg to the overhang, where they gently set him down in the snow. "It will help him heal," Dranzer explained, "He is an ice wolf." Now she was conjuring a small fireball in her hands, and then shifted it to her left hand and traced it gently, ever so carefully, over Wolborg's wounds. The smell was unbearable, sizzling flesh and burning blood, but Tala forced himself to stay where he was and breathe shallowly. Wolborg wasn't even conscious enough to cry out, and suddenly, the fire in Dranzer's hand went out and she collapsed.

"Sc-Dranzer?" He asked, "What just…?"

"I used too much energy in a host," Dranzer whispered back, "Go back up to the cave, it will be warmer there. We'll be fine, and I'll be up soon… or Scarlet will." Tala didn't protest, but stood and left. Dranzer curled up against the side of the cliff, pale and haggard, and closed her eyes. This day was just too confusing.

In Asia

"Look Kai, you can't blade without Dranzer," Rei said, "You'd be crushed." Kai glared at him, but he knew it was true. He could just barely feel Dranzer's presence in his mind, and he was sure she couldn't hear him anymore. He bowed his head, excepting defeat. Then he stood and left without another word.

"He's acting strange," Hilary said, "Or, stranger than usual, anyway." Tyson nodded in agreement, while the rest of the team stared after their retreating captain.

"Should someone go after him?" Max asked. Rei stood silently and followed him, to everyone else's relief. No one liked an angry Kai.

"Kai," Rei said as he approached him, "What's going on?" Kai kept walking, acting as if he hadn't heard him. But the neko followed him, since Kai hadn't snapped at him yet. Strangely enough, they were headed towards Rei's village. "Kai…?" he said again.

"Go back," he replied. "And stay away from me." Rei stopped, stunned.

"Kai, what are you…?" He continued going after him. "This is about Scarlet, isn't it?" Kai rounded on him.

"I said stay away from me!" He snapped, and walked on. Rei wasn't sure what to do. Normally he'd leave Kai alone, but he was obviously going to do something he'd regret later. What it was, Rei didn't want to know. He kept following him, but at a greater distance.

_Rei let him go. _Driger said in his mind. _I know you're friends, but he needs to be alone._ Rei stopped, wondering why Driger chose now to speak to him. But he did as he was instructed, and let Kai continue walking alone. _He'll come back. _Rei turned and walked back to the hotel.

At the abbey

Alicia sat back in her old room, her head resting on the wall, Isis pacing in front of her. "It's warmer here," she muttered. Isis nodded.

"Not nearly as bad as sleeping in a cave, is it?" She asked.

"I don't know…" Alicia replied doubtfully. "I sorta miss Tala and Scarlet. They were nice… are you tired?"

"It's because you aren't used to changing form," Isis said, "The feeling should go away in a few hours." Alicia sighed.

"A few hours? I feel like I'm going to pass out."

"If you wish to sleep, you can you know," Isis said, "But I would like to look around, if you don't mind."

"Of course not," Alicia replied, "Go where you wish, but stay in the abbey." She curled up on the thin cot that served her as a bed, and was asleep in a second. Isis looked at her for a moment, then slipped out. She cared for the girl, truly she did, but she didn't like the idea of her being close to Dranzer. She walked outside and sat on the snow, not bothered at all by the cold. Soon she saw who she was looking for. A falcon wheeled in the sky, its feathers glittering. She turned into a hummingbird and flew up to it, careful to stay inside the borders of the abbey.

"Falborg?" She asked.

"Hello Isis," he replied, "It's nice to see you again." They flew back down to the abbey grounds, where they both took on human forms. Falborg looked the same, but Isis had ditched the armor for a light blue jacket and jeans, with a pair of sneakers. They almost looked like ordinary teens, with the exception of Falborg's strange face. And the way the snow melted around them, of course.

With Scarlet

Scarlet's eyes slowly opened several hours later. The last thing she could remember was Falborg flying towards her, and Dranzer taking over. She had her back to rock, and Wolborg was sitting next to her, his gray hair fluttering in the breeze, his eyes light and unfocused.

"Ah, she lives," he said as Scarlet sat up. Scarlet laughed and shoved him into the snow, from which he emerged, spluttering in indignation.

"I've never been so tired," she muttered, stretching. "Where's Tala?"

"Back up in the cave, if I heard right," Wolborg replied. Scarlet stood.

"Let's go then." She said, and started climbing. Although weak, she managed to take only half a minute to reach the cave. Wolborg quickly followed, taking half the time Scarlet had. Tala was sitting about fifteen feet back, shivering like mad.

_Hey Dranzer, _Scarlet asked. _Can I have my wolf form? _

_Of course. _Dranzer replied, and Scarlet was a wolf. She still was taking on Black Dranzer's wolf form, but she didn't care. She walked over to Tala and curled up next to him. Wolborg did the same, becoming the gray and white wolf he truly was. Once Tala had stopped shivering, he tried to stand. Scarlet snapped at him. _Here, _Dranzer offered, and Scarlet became a ferret.

_Eww… _She thought, _No thanks. And I am _not _a scarf. _She became herself again. "Don't ask," she said. "You're okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Tala replied, "Just cold."

Wolborg growled lightly, almost as though his lips had been frozen together. "What is it?" Scarlet asked.

Wolborg shifted back into his human form. "I think I can get us back to the rest of the Bladebreakers…"

Tala seemed that he liked the idea, but Scarlet was reluctant. "I don't- I can't leave Alicia. Kai would not only kill me… no, actually, he would just kill me. But I bet Isis brainwashed her or something."

"We can come back," Wolborg snapped, "When my master is not dying." Scarlet seemed to shrink back.

"You know I can't feel the cold," she said, "I don't mean it like… you know what, no." A new light was shining in her eyes. "This is something I need to do. I'll find you guys later, okay?" She turned into the wolf and leapt out of the cave. Wolborg almost sprang after her, but Tala stopped him.

"We'll go your way," he said, "My sister will keep her word."

AN: I'm sorry… I know I didn't do the fight scene justice, and the ending isn't particularly cliff-hanger-y like I normally do, but I figured I'd better post this before… I don't know what, but I'm sorry it took so long to update. School, writers block, and other stories got in the way… but mostly school. Please forgive me! (And please review!)


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade. Don't like it that I must repeat.

AN: This chapter is so short I want to kick myself, but I thought you might as well have a short chapter rather than nothing at all.

…

Scarlet's black coat stood out against the snow as she loped through the snow. What she was doing was idiotic, suicidal even, but she couldn't stand the thought of Alicia living her life in the abbey, being brainwashed until she was emotionless. Isis would take her over. Dranzer would almost certainly be killed. _Dranzer, what am I doing?_

_Your own will. _Dranzer replied. She would not answer further. Scarlet continued onward, her pace tireless, until she came to the abbey.

_Can I have a bird form? _

_You will have to move quickly, your shoulder is still injured. _Dranzer gave her a bird's form, but a small songbird instead of the hawk. As soon as she was inside the abbey grounds, Dranzer turned her back into a wolf. Scarlet paced carefully up to the doors, and then to a stone a few feet to their left. She nudged it with her nose, and it fell back, revealing one of the abbey's many secret passages. She trotted in, and the stones seemed to gather back up behind her.

_Telekinesis, _Scarlet thought. _Nice. _She continued up the passage until she reached a dead end. She pressed her nose against it, but it didn't budge. She tried again, with more force, but to no avail. _Dranzer, what the heck? _The phoenix had no reply. _We can't be trapped… _Scarlet threw every ounce of her weight against the wall, even tried the other walls to see if she had somehow found the wrong one, but she was trapped. Trapped in a tight, narrow corridor, with barely enough room to turn around. But turn around she did, and ran back to the entrance to the passage. She ran straight into the bricks, expecting to burst out into the harsh, cold sunlight, but no. She leapt back, pain bursting from her already injured shoulder, where it had hit the stone. _Dranzer? _She sat down, panting. _Dranzer, we're trapped. _

With Brooklyn

"The plan's working," Bryan commented as he glanced at the wolf trotting across the lawn. "If she does take the more… direct passage, we'll have to use a bit more force-"

"No, she's taking the passage," Brooklyn said. "Just as you thought." Bryan sighed and replaced the safety on his gun. He wouldn't have been aiming to kill, but, as he had told Brooklyn earlier, 'Accidents happen'. Instead, he grabbed a remote and hit a button. Brooklyn knew that the entrance was now sealed, and in a few moments, a strong sleeping gas would fill the small corridor. _Believe me Scarlet, _he thought. _You're safer here than anywhere else. _Zeus said nothing, but he was almost certain that his master lied, and lied through his teeth.

Back to Scarlet

Scarlet still was trying to get the bricks at the entrance to move when the sleeping gas hit her. She tried to fight it, but that only made things worse and she collapsed in a heap.

Only then did the passage reopen. Isis appeared first, her face hazy in Scarlet's semi-consciousness, then Falborg. "Where was she supposed to go?" Isis asked.

"The lab," Falborg replied, "Although Bryan told me they didn't necessarily need her alive." He pulled a wicked looking serrated edged knife from his boot, but Isis stayed his hand.

"No, not yet, I think," she murmured softly, "She deserves to die dishonored and alone." Then for Scarlet, everything went black. Isis picked her up and tossed her to Falborg like she was a sack of flour.

"I still say we kill her," he complained. "That gets Dranzer off of our backs." Isis rolled her eyes.

"There are times for killing," she said, "This isn't one of them."

_Isis? _It was Alicia.

"I am being called. Keep her alive." With that, she vanished.

With Alicia

Alicia had woken up a few minutes before she called Isis, and she couldn't quite remember how she'd gotten back at the abbey. She'd been with Scarlet and Tala, and then everything sort of went fuzzy. Isis appeared.

"What is it Alicia?" She asked worriedly, walking over. _Maybe I should have Falborg kill the girl… but no, Dranzer is mine. _

"It's just that… I don't know why I'm back here," she admitted, "I don't remember coming."

_Dammit! _Isis thought, _My spell must be wearing off. She has a strong mind._ "Dranzer and I had a fight," she replied sadly, "I took you away for our safety. The phoenix can be quite unpredictable at times."

"Why can't I remember?" Alicia asked.

"I cloaked you in a veil of magic so that you would sleep," Isis replied, "And then I turned you into a hawk. It's quite understandable that you don't remember."

Alicia puzzled over this for a moment, then shrugged. "Okay, that makes since. I wonder if anyone else knows I'm back."

"Actually," Isis said, "I think Boris will want to know. After all, the abbey's team is now down to three…"

"No way," Alicia replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "You think I could hold my own against Bryan or Ian or Spencer? There's no way."

"Oh, I don't know," Isis said, "I think that you could. In fact, I think you could finally realize a few of your dreams." She didn't doubt it. With her, Alicia was a strong blader, near the bottom of the abbey's social class only because the rest of the place consisted of sexist jerks.

"Well…" Alicia said, "I'll go see about it." Isis vanished back into her blade, and Alicia walked out of her room.

She didn't know it at the time, but she'd never come back.

…

AN: Again, sorry a million times over for the short chapter. Please R&R!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Disclaimer: I don't own. And honestly, I don't know why you would think I owned an anime/manga series. I mean, really…

**…**

"Scarlet?" The wolf stirred restlessly, as she had for hours, but still refused to wake. "Scarlet, wake up; you're safe now." Brooklyn sighed. He'd taken her from Falborg, but instead of returning her to the lab, he'd brought her to a small room that was practically hidden from the outside, hoping that she would wake up. She hadn't, but didn't lay still for a moment, twisting and turning as if she was trying to throw off her sleep. "Scarlet, wake up!"

_Scarlet, c'mon. What happened to you? _Dranzer spoke urgently, not knowing what was wrong with the girl and unable to get her to respond. _Scarlet! _The girl didn't even whisper a response. She was either in shock or that sleeping gas had really messed her up. Or not.

_Dranzer? Oh, thank God! I'm freaking out, I can barely breathe, and I can't wake up, please help… _Just as quickly as her voice had come, it faded. Dranzer searched her brain rapidly for her and found that she was in the small part of her brain that she had never been able to penetrate, and had guessed that it held Scarlet's memories of the abbey.

_I'm sorry Scarlet, _she thought quietly. She dove in.

**…**

Tala and Wolborg arrived in Asia only a few minutes after they left Scarlet in the cave. "Wow," Tala breathed, "That was fast…" he was still freezing cold, not to mention weak, and his normally spiked hair was hanging below his shoulders.

"Come master," Wolborg said, "We're not there yet." He led Tala quickly down the streets, completely ignoring the stares he received from the people on the streets, until he and Tala got to the hotel that Kai had stormed out of last night. He still hadn't returned.

Wolborg jogged up the stairs, leading Tala to the right room, and then disappeared in front of the door. Tala knocked, and the door flew open. It was a boy who Tala had never seen before, with shaggy blue hair that hung as long as his did, and no eyes. Well, he had eyes, but they had no pupils or irises. They were a straight silver-white, and seemed to be scanning him. He was dressed casually, but the sword strapped across his back said otherwise.

"Let him in," another voice called. "He should have Scar- Dranzer with him." The boy stepped aside, and Tala walked in. Tyson, Max, and Rei were sitting towards the center of the room; Rei on the floor, Tyson the couch, and Max an armchair.

"I don't," he said. Wolborg appeared next to him in his wolf form and snarled quietly, quickly bowing his head to the strange boy.

_Careful, _he warned. _This is Dragoon. _Tala blanched, but then shook his head.

_Why am I not surprised…?_

"Where's Scarlet?" Rei asked.

Tala bowed his head, his hair flopping over his shoulders to hide his face. "She went back to the abbey," he said. "I don't know how she is right now. Where's Kai?"

"No idea," Rei replied. "This is Dragoon, by the way."

"He ran off last night," Tyson said. "Should be back by now…" He and Max shared a troubled look, which Tala didn't miss.

"Believe me," he said, "He won't be at the abbey. If he was, I'd be there." He absentmindedly fiddled with a strand of his hair.

_Master, he's nearby, _Wolborg said. _And getting closer. Do you think- _Tala cut him off quickly.

_No. I refuse to believe that Voltaire, no matter how evil he may be, would do that to his own grandson. Well, _he corrected after a minute, _I find it hard to believe. _Just then, the lock clicked and Kai walked in. He didn't even seem surprised that Tala was there, and it almost confirmed Tala's thoughts. Almost. "Hello Kai," he said. Kai nodded.

"I sensed you," he said, "Or rather, you, Wolborg." The wolf growled and bared his teeth. Kai smiled. "Well, I thought maybe you'd see it… I was wrong, of course. It was me and Scarlet. We were the only ones who truly mattered. She isn't at all what you think she is, the actress. She isn't your sister anymore Tala. She isn't even Dranzer's host. She is almost finished… almost complete." Only Tala looked truly shocked. The others only looked confused. Only Tala knew what Kai was talking about. "Soon," Kai continued, "Soon we will both become the first humans to ever be merged with bit-beasts, and we will be undefeatable!" Madness glinted in his eyes.

"They banned it," Tala said, "At the abbey… they banned…" Kai scoffed.

"Ah, yes," he said, "_After _Scarlet got away. I was merged with an ancient bit-beast, the one they call Cerberus, the guardian of the Underworld. Has no one ever noticed? And Scarlet was never meant to be your bit-beast, Tala. She was supposed to become herself and Black Dranzer, but something went wrong. So I tried to take her back to the abbey, but I knew she wouldn't go back willingly. So I told her about you." Kai stopped suddenly. "I've said far too much." His crimson eyes glowed, and he walked out.

**…**

Dranzer was shocked by what she saw in Scarlet's mind. Sure, it was all related to the abbey, but… she was so young. So alone. She had lied to her, all that time, about being close to Kai. They had been forced together, and Tala had been her only refuge. Wolborg (then known as Fenris,) had been taken away for the experiments that would change not only him, but his name as well. And Tala had begun to change as well. When he was ten, he left. He left his nine year old sister to the horrors of the abbey. Dranzer's blood boiled. She walked along a small corridor, with memories forming the walls around her, until she came to a still. Scarlet and Tala were laughing, beyblading for the heck of it, watched over by a young woman who would later tell them about how they could see auras.

"Wow," Dranzer whispered, placing a hand up to the woman in the image, "I look so different." Yes, it had been Dranzer who had told Tala and Scarlet about their abilities to read auras.

"I should have known it was you," Scarlet whispered. Dranzer whirled around, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. "You do know why we were merged, do you not?" She stepped from nowhere, and touched Dranzer's shoulder. Instantly, the phoenix went limp. "Now, give me back my body!" Her grip on Dranzer's shoulder tightened, until she heard something crack.

"How…?" Dranzer didn't have time to say more before she passed out from the pain of her broken collarbone.

"I'm much stronger than I look," Scarlet said. "Goodbye." As the ancient bit-beast collapsed at her feet, golden tendrils shot from her body into Scarlet's outstretched hand and were absorbed into her skin. "Oh Dranzer… all of your power is being given to me now… and I shall find Kai, and then!" She laughed, tilting her head up high, and gave herself control over her body again.

**…**

Scarlet shot up, causing Brooklyn to leap back, startled. Her eyes were wide and panicked at first, but then glazed over. She blinked, and they turned black, then gold. She stood, light and easy. "Thank you," she said to Brooklyn. "Thank you for keeping me safe." She meant it too. She would let him live. The boy nodded. Then Scarlet left. She took on the form of a phoenix without thinking, and it no longer caused her pain.

The phoenix was black. Scarlet was no more.

**…**

Kai walked out of the hotel, then began running. He went to an alley; an alley deserted except for a single cat. He ignored it, allowing himself to take on Cerberus's form, minus two heads. A huge black and brown dog with slavering jaws and crimson eyes leapt out of the alley a minute later, cat blood dripping from its maw. It growled before dashing away again. He had to find Dranzer. Cerberus was the only being now. Kai was only a form. Just as Scarlet was now only a form for Black Dranzer. The two bit-beasts were the most powerful on the earth.

Now they just had to choose who they would let control them.

**…**

Alicia was light and beautiful and Bryan loved her. So when he saw her walking alone through the corridors of the abbey, he decided this was a perfect time to talk to her. "Hello," she said when she saw him, "Um…" she smiled helplessly. "I guess I'm lost."

"Well," Bryan said, "You seem like you're right here." She laughed.

"I mean I don't know where I'm going," she protested.

"Oh," Bryan replied, "Where would you be headed?" Alicia looked at him, defiance and courage welling in her eyes.

"I need to find Boris," she whispered. "I plan to replace Tala." Bryan almost laughed, but something stopped him.

"Why on earth would you do that?" He asked instead, "He'll be back soon, he runs away quite often." Alicia shook her head.

"He's deserted the abbey," she whispered, sincerity almost glowing from her eyes, "He's as good as dead to this team now." The sound of footsteps came from down the hall as Bryan tried to process this information. Scarlet came into view, and Bryan stared at her in shock. She looked at him, terrified, then turned into a black phoenix and, with a screech, disappeared.

"Scarlet!" Alicia called, "Wait!" Bryan grabbed her shoulder, knowing full well what that… that _thing _had been. He, like unlike the others, had been informed fully about the experiments. Black Dranzer was meant to be his, after all, if she would have him.

**…**

Scarlet –no, Black Dranzer flew down the abbey's corridors, itching to escape and find Cerberus. Then, and only then, could they find Voltaire and Boris and aid them in taking over the world.

**…**

AN: Yes… I did just write this. I can't believe I did it. But this story is back! Please R&R, and I'm sorry this is so short!


End file.
